Troops, Taliban race to build up governments

Troops, Taliban race to build up governments
By Sebastian Abbot - The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Dec 21, 2009 13:55:15 EST

KHAN NESHIN, Afghanistan — The governor of this remote district in southern Afghanistan has employees he can't afford to pay, a school he struggles to staff with teachers, a clinic where doctors are scarce and a police force of mostly illiterate farmers.

That's actually progress in an impoverished area that had no school, doctor, police or even a governor before U.S. Marines arrived about six months ago.

Building up local government is key to improving people's lives and winning their support against the Taliban. The experience in Rig district in Helmand province, a crossroads for Taliban fighters entering from nearby Pakistan, highlights just how difficult that challenge can be.

"Right now it is a race between us and the Taliban," said Lt. Col. Richard Crevier, whose battalion is posted in a 200-year-old mud fort in Khan Neshin.

The dusty district town is typical of many areas of Afghanistan that have little history of strong government presence. Where the state's influence is felt, it's often not for the better. Many officials use their positions to enrich themselves rather than deliver basic services.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/12/ap_afghanistan_grassroots_122109/