A group of tribal elders convened in Ghor province to discuss peace and security in the central regions of Afghanistan through a reconciliation and reintegration program.
Ghor Gov. Aqahi Abdullah Heiwad met with about two dozen elders and Afghan officials to discuss ways to entice more insurgents to join the Afghan peace and reintegration program, the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan reports.
"We need to talk with people who support the Taliban and insurgents," Heiwad was quoted as saying. "If we need to deal with these people in our province and have a secure and favorable environment for development programs, then our councils must tackle this task".
Afghan President Hamid Karzai appointed some of the country's top leaders to oversee a program to convince Taliban and other insurgents to lay down their weapons and pledge allegiance to the government in Kabul.
The United Nations said around 800 insurgents have switched sides recently. Insurgents, the U.S. military said, can earn about $80 per week if they trade their weapons in for vocational training. UPI
