Afghanistan disarmament gets under way

Associated Press

SPINBOLDAK, Afghanistan – U.S. troops and local anti-Taliban forces arrived Friday to begin work toward disarming Afghans in the town of Spinboldak, where deteriorating security and intertribal mistrust has raised concerns about violence.

Gul Agha, the provincial governor, arrived with the forces to meet with tribal elders before naming a new leadership, after which armed factions are to turn in their weapons, a spokesman for the governor said.

The troops and fighters also sealed the border with Pakistan, witnesses said. Spinboldak is near the Pakistan border about 55 miles southeast of Kandahar city, a one-time Taliban stronghold.

The forces arrived in a convoy and included Agha, fighters loyal to him and about a dozen U.S. special forces. The governor and area tribal elders then held a meeting attended by two U.S. soldiers.

“The intervention to Spinboldak is to collect weapons and establish a sound administration,” said Agha’s spokesman, Yusuf Pashtun.

He said the governor began the meeting by saying that shakedowns of journalists crossing into the province from Pakistan has embarrassed the regional government.

On Friday, the forces were searching the area for al-Qaida and Taliban leaders, said authorities in Pakistan on condition of anonymity.

Since Taliban fighters left the region, security has declined as local tribes resist cooperating with rival groups. Many tribesmen are believed to have hidden weapons.

Afghanistan is awash in weapons accumulated during two decades of war, and is wracked with tensions among ethnic groups. As the post-Taliban administration attempts to exert control, it is concerned that the widespread presence of arms could further destabilize the country.

Prime Minister Hamid Karzai this week ordered armed men to leave the streets of Kabul, the capital. Friday was the final day for the ultimatum to be met.