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JALALABAD, Afghanistan — An eastern Afghan tribe has signed a pact to keep the Taliban out of its lands, pledging to burn down the houses of those who shelter insurgents and force them to pay fines as high as $20,000.
U.S. military officials Wednesday welcomed the decision by the Shinwari tribe with a pledge of $1 million for a tribal fund and $200,000 in jobs programs. They acknowledged that the tribe was uniquely positioned to defy the Taliban with its sizable militia and a history of unity against outsiders.
Tribal leaders of the Shinwari, which dominate five districts of about 600,000 people in Nangarhar province, said the agreement was borne as much out of frustration with the Afghan government as the desire to keep out militants.
