ZABUL PROVINCE, Afghanistan – About 50 elders of the Surri and Shinkay Districts in Zabul province gathered with local government, military and police leaders here July 28 to discuss security in the region.
The group meets about once every two to three weeks to address concerns and work toward solutions to problems in the region.
“Our unit was really the catalyst for these shuras,” said Lt. Col. Christopher Albus, the commander of Task Force Wings (4th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment).
Albus explained that when his unit arrived at the province’s Forward Operating Base Wolverine earlier this year, there were no meetings taking place. Essentially, there was no forum for the locals to voice their concerns or for the government officials to share information.
In fact, the Afghans from the Surri District were completely separated from their regional government by the Surghar mountain range. With only one route to cross the range, dialogue was virtually non-existent.
With new leadership in place with both the district governor and the Afghan National Police, the message for this particular shura was different from past gatherings.
“I was sent here to open schools, the bazaar and an aid station,” said …, the new district police chief. “You can either be part of it or perish because of it.”
…. And his police officers have taken an active role in eliminating insurgent activity in the region. So far, they haven’t conducted aggressive searches of compounds in the area, but they said villagers are leaving them no choice.
To avoid this, the leaders emphasized the need for the villagers to make a decision about which side they would support – the government or the insurgency.
Up to this point, many villagers have been hesitant to take a stand against insurgents for fear of reprisal. Their hesitation has allowed insurgents to use the area as a safe haven and supply route. It’s also allowed the insurgents to launch attacks on coalition forces – attacks that often put innocent Afghans at risk despite the taxes they pay to insurgents in hopes of safety.
“This is a culture of warriors,” … said. “What kind of warriors are you if you allow these things to happen in your villages?”
“We know you know who the Taliban are,” said … the Afghan National Army’s kandak commander.
| Date Taken: | 07.28.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 08.22.2011 09:56 |
| Story ID: | 75725 |
| Location: | ZABUL PROVINCE, AF |
| Web Views: | 18 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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