The following are excerpts from a TV report on local militias in Afghanistan, which aired on Al-Jazeera TV on January 29, 2010.

Reporter: Here, in Khost Province, in south-east Afghanistan, these fighters carry weapons that they bought with their own money, and operate with tribal authorization and the consent of the Afghan government, which cannot ignore the role of the tribes, especially in the Pashtun regions.

Salam Monghul (member of Khost local militias): We are here at the order of our tribes' leaders, and our mission is limited to the defense of this road and these forests.

Reporter: These local militias are the latest concept of the international forces and the Afghan government, following the strengthening of the Taliban, in order to resolve the security crisis that has brought the regular forces to attrition.

Shahed Sah Anghar (expert on tribal issues): The role of the tribes must be restored. When the tribes regain their role of the past, they will force their men – including members of the Taliban and the militias – to accept peace and justice.

[...]

Reporter: The presence of the militias is not limited to the Pashtun regions. Kunduz Province, in northern Afghanistan, is home to various Afghan tribes. The people here and the Afghan officials have begun to rely on local militias, in their fighting against the Taliban.

Kheirallah Khan (regional dignitary): We formed these militias for our protection. If these militias are disbanded, our lives will be in real danger from the Taliban.

Reporter: Some doubt the loyalty of the local militias. Others fear that they will restore the tribal system, far removed from the foundations of a modern state. The international forces and Afghan government view these militias as a [means] to curb the tension.