Afghan Government Reservedly Backs Tribal Cash Plan, Reuters, 5 February 2010
EXCERPT: "The Afghan government backs a U.S. military scheme to plough aid money toward tribes who organize against the Taliban, but wants more of the cash routed through Kabul, Afghanistan's tribal affairs minister said on Thursday. The U.S. military has been keen to reach out directly to tribes in Afghanistan's volatile Pashtun areas, offering them aid if they disavow the insurgency and promise to fight the Taliban. The program has been billed, in part, as a way of bypassing the Kabul government, which is often viewed both in Afghan provinces and Western capitals as ineffective or corrupt. Last week, the military reached an agreement with the Shinwari tribe in eastern Nangarhar province. Acting Tribal Affairs Minister Arsala Jamal confirmed that $1 million had been promised to the tribe for development projects. The money will directly fund projects in the community rather than pass through the Afghan government, but Kabul nonetheless backs the scheme and sent officials to participate in the meetings, known as 'shuras.'"
Read the full story.
Related articles:
US tries to undercut Taliban at tribal level, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 February 2010
Governance and exit strategies in Afghanistan, UPI, 3 February 2010
Risks seen in Afghan anti-Taliban tribal uprising plans, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, 3 February 2010
Tribal Police Force, The Huffington Post, 2 February 2010
Related posts:
Afghan tribe to fight Taliban in return for and from US, 28 January 2010
US ambassador halts plan to utilize Afghan militias against Taliban, 21 January 2010
Militias battle Taliban with aid of US, 23 November 2009
Mobilizing Afghan militias: Civil defense forces vs. "tribal militias", 16 February 2009

