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| Afghanistan |
| Northern Afghan warlords surrender weapons |
| 2003-12-03 |
| Progress? GONDI VOLGA, Afghanistan -- Afghanistan’s two main northern warlords handed over dozens of tanks and heavy guns Tuesday, giving the fledgling U.S.-backed government of President Hamid Karzai a small victory. The weaponry belonging to the militias of Abdurrashid Dostum and Attah Mohammad, whose armies have been attacking each other for two years, was surrendered to the new Afghan National Army. In October, clashes between the warlords’ forces reportedly left dozens of civilians dead. Karzai sent Interior Minister Ali Ahmad Jalali and enlisted the help of British peacekeepers and the United Nations to bring the warlords into line. They agreed that a battalion from the new army would guard the surrendered weapons until the Defense Ministry decides what to do with them. Eventually, the ministry and its sponsors hope to disarm and decommission 100,000 militia members as it creates the new army and national police, which so far have only 6,000 members. |
| Posted by:Seafarious |
| #6 This quote: Karzai sent Interior Minister Ali Ahmad Jalali and enlisted the help of British peacekeepers and the United Nations to bring the warlords into line. Is translated into: ... giving the fledgling U.S.-backed government of President Hamid Karzai a small victory. for a news article in the Washington Post. Is anyone surprised? |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2003-12-3 4:52:02 PM |
| #5 Damn, I'm in a moibus rant. Hand over the Klein bottle o'beer. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2003-12-3 3:29:00 PM |
| #4 Sorry, LH they weren't weapons they were T-54s. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2003-12-3 3:27:18 PM |
| #3 Naw LW they were T-54s. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2003-12-3 3:26:25 PM |
| #2 definite progress, I think. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2003-12-3 1:29:09 PM |
| #1 My understanding is that after the Northern Alliance took over, those two guys got their militias declared to be independent Corps in the Afghan Army. After suitable We'll have to wait and see, but if it happens, then we're talking serious progress. |
| Posted by: Patrick Phillips 2003-12-3 12:51:39 PM |