Wary Insurgents Defect From Taliban

Exhausted insurgents who were lured away from the Taliban by promises of jobs are coming up empty handed. Offering incentives to those who surrender—and programs to reintegrate former fighters into Afghan society—is at the core of the Obama administration and Gen. Stanley McChrystal's new strategy to end the eight-year war, but the program has fallen short due to lack of funding. Some insurgents are finding themselves unemployed and without a place to live. Unable to return to the Taliban and afraid of the U.S. military, they end up in hiding. The U.S. and its allies are planning renewed investments into these programs. The envisioned program will focus on a “cash-for-work” approach to compensate former Taliban fighters, who are used to a decent paycheck.