US recruits local Afghan militias

The United States, backed by Britain, is planning to organise local Afghan militias to help take on the Taliban. The controversial project is inspired by a similar tactic employed in Iraq, where General David Petraeus, the American commander now running the war in Afghanistan, backed Sunni groups to help combat al-Qaeda and Iraqi insurgents.

The so-called Community Guard programme will be launched in southern Afghanistan on an experimental basis. William Wood, the American ambassador in Kabul, announcing the project yesterday, said it was intended "to strengthen local communities and local tribes in their ability to protect what they consider to be their traditional homes".

Britain supports the tactic in principle. "We encourage and support more Afghan ownership, particularly on security," said a Foreign Office spokesman. However, Canada, one of the Nato countries fighting alongside the Americans and British, is not convinced. Peter MacKay, Canada's Minister of National Defence, said: "The tribal militia idea that has been around for some time now is controversial; we are not on board with that."

MacKay said the Canadians would prefer to stick with the plan of training up a professional Afghan army. "Not all of the tactics and not all of the decisions made in Iraq are applicable in Afghanistan," he said.