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Rival Warlords Control Afghan City
Friday, March 22, 2002
(4:40 AM PT)
The Associated Press

"Today is the new year holiday and we are working, but we get nothing. How long can the government cheat us? One day we will cut our relations with the government," said Noor Ali, a customs officer who hasn't been paid since the Taliban were overthrown in November.

KHOST, Afghanistan -- AP
Caught on the front line of the Afghan war, the people of this volatile city near the Pakistani border long for the good old days of Taliban rule, when they say security was good and guns were rarely seen.

That changed with the arrival of coalition forces seeking to oust al-Qaida and Taliban fighters from their former stronghold.

Local security officials say U.S. special forces have played the old game of power-brokering with Afghan warlords, literally dividing Khost among rival tribesmen.

The rampant lawlessness threatens to explode into tribal warfare -- which could shift local loyalties back toward the Taliban, creating an even more hostile environment for U.S. forces operating in the region.

Since arriving in the border region in December, the Americans have recruited men loyal to Bacha Khan Zardran, a local warlord, and to the city's police commander, Mohammad Mustafa, to help to secure the area while coalition forces hunt al-Qaida and Taliban forces. Their men are each paid $200 a month.

But there's a hitch in the security equation: The two men and a couple of other minor players have become embroiled in a battle of their own for control of the city.
(More: The Las Vegas Sun News Source)
2002 © The Associated Press.

Dan