A source inside ISAF emails to say that Afghanistan’s large peace jirga, scheduled for next week by President Karzai, has been delayed until further notice. A jirga, Pashtun for “council,” is a traditional means of brokering peace amongst warring tribes. Next week’s assembly would aim to bring together all of Afghanistan’s major players — from religious figures to ministers.
The ISAF official also mentioned that Karzai’s foot dragging on 11 ministerial appointments is the reason for the hold up. 40 MPs have refused to participate in the jirga until Karzai appoints the final 11 ministers.
