| Afghanistanâs powerful regional warlords will face a shake-up as democratic reforms are implemented, the commander of the US-led coalition in country said on Tuesday. âI think that thereâs got to be an internal Afghanistan sorting out of the various regional leaders out there,â Lieutenant General David Barno told AFP. âI think thereâs a tremendously positive political process on the way right now to bring all parts of the country under a representative form of government. I think the regional leaders out there of various types will have to fall into place with that particular system be they governors, be they provincial officials, be they Afghan militia force leaders.â Until now the US-led coalition of 12,000 troops has concentrated on hunting Al Qaeda and Taliban militants in the largely mountainous country. But in a wide-ranging interview with AFP, Barno also outlined the coalitionâs evolving strategy in Afghanistan which will include more civil-military reconstruction teams and a greater focus on building relationships within communities. The US military was âprimarily in the stability phase which includes both combat operations as well as enhanced emphasis on security throughout the countryside and the development of Afghan institutions,â Barno said. |