Afghan Local Defense Forces

The Telegraph describes the proposed local Afghan police forces as "Dad's Army-style forces" and talks about the safeguards being put in place around them.

In an attempt to reassure Afghans, the new forces will be uniformed and accountable to the Ministry of Interior, a spokesman for Mr Karzai said. They will also be temporary and will have to use their own weapons as funding for guns will not be made available.

Hamid Elmi, a spokesman for Mr Karzai, said: "The size, salary and the period for which it will be required will be prepared by the interior ministry," "They [LPFs] will be formed in areas where there is insecurity."

Geoff Morrell, a Pentagon spokesman, said they "would be government formed, government paid, government uniformed local police units who would keep an eye out for bad guys in their neighbourhoods."

Many in the American military believe the Afghan tradition of occasionally forming village militias, or arbakai, for collective defence against rivals, bandits and marauders could act as a precedent.

By: Brant