Afghanistan: September 22, 2003

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After much discussion with tribal leaders, and adding more Pushtun officials to the defense ministry, the government will start trying to disarm some 100,000 gunmen. This will disband dozens of warlord armies and send the fighters back to their villages. In effect, the government will be buying the weapons from the gunmen, and paying "compensation" (large bribes of cash or favors)  to the warlords for the loss of their private armies. Some of the disarmed men will be recruited into the new Afghan army, which so far has only trained 6,000 troops. Eventually, as quickly as men can be trained, the army will have 70,000 troops. 

 

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