Karzai's Plan To Pay For Peace In Afghanistan

Afghan President Hamid Karzai met the representatives of more than 60 nations at a summit hosted at London-
.

He used the opportunity to launch a fresh programme of reconciliation and reintegration.

The centrepiece of his plan revolves around tempting militant foot soldiers to switch sides by offering them land, money, jobs and opportunities as an alternative to war.

The Government has had a long-standing policy of offering help and protection to Taliban defectors but it has been poorly funded, so the help has been limited and the defectors few.

One official in receipt of the plan told Sky News that the aim was to appeal to "low and mid-level" Taliban-
who are believed to be drawn into fighting through economic desperation.

"Now is not the time to talk to the ideologues at the top of the insurgency," he said.

"But there's a belief that with some real help - like providing land to cultivate or funds to set up independent businesses - we can persuade the foot soldiers at the bottom to give up their weapons."



Malvi Mohammed Ishaq Nizami

Any fighters joining the programme would have to renounce violence and none with links to al Qaeda would be accepted.

One prominent Taliban who has defected and joined the Reintegration programme, spoke to Sky in the Afghan capital, Kabul.

Malvi Mohammed Ishaq Nizami was a well-known Taliban activist, running the country's extremist radio and television station before the fall of the Taliban Government in 2001.

He fled into exile in Pakistan but was offered protection and security if he returned as part of the reconciliation process.

"There is no doubt it was very risky and dangerous," he said, "but I was born in this country and I grew up here and I felt I had a duty to do something for my country so I returned."

He is now engaged in trying to persuade others to join the reintegration programme.

"Money is not the main thing but it is a motivation, and if they are offered specific help which will change their lives, then they will switch sides.

"At the moment the reintegration pot is empty so it is very difficult."



Prince Ali Seraj

The international community has backed President Karzai's plan, but is is controversial.

Prince Ali Seraj runs the National Conciliation for Dialogue with the Tribesmen of Afghanistan - and he believes it is doomed.

"In a poor land like Afghanistan, if you make a statement like that you will have 30 million people lining up to get land and money.

"This is no cohesive group of people with a chief executive officer and a top man. There is no particular list of Taliban where you can say 'Ahmed, come over to us and we will pay you thirty dollars.'

"It is a pipe dream and wishful thinking and will create more problems. You might even have people joining the Taliban so they can be paid to switch."



Haji Ehsan and family

Haji Ehsan was among more than 80 families who saw their businesses reduced to ashes when militants stormed a shopping centre in Kabul last week.

He has been left with nothing - but has 10 children and six grandchildren to care for at home. "It is very hard to find the food for them," he says.

"I have lost my business but the children still need feeding and they are hungry.

"I am worrying a lot about the future because I have no money for anything and no business. I just hope the international community can help us.

"I know the Taliban offer money to people to fight - and this is it, when people have nothing, they will be forced to go out and join any side."

Source:sky.com/