In From the Cold.

MILITARY officers; TALIBAN; INSURGENCY; QUALITY of life; INTERNAL security; NORDLAND, Rod

To weaken the Afghan Taliban, American military commanders are hoping to lure fighters away from the insurgency with the promise of jobs, security and a better life. The idea is a good one. Like so much else in Afghanistan, this important initiative has badly faltered. According to American officials, there are a significant number of lower-level militants and tribal leaders who are not true believers but have allied with extremists because they had no choice, needed the money or were so disillusioned with the Afghan government that they forgot the horrors of Taliban rule. But as The Times's Rod Nordland recently reported, in the last six months only a few hundred fighters have taken up the government's offer to come in from the cold. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Copyright of New York Times is the property of New York Times and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)