Afghan farmer Izatullah Ali is taken away by US Marines in Helmand. Rob KnightLock Them Up Then Let Them Go: Strategy For The Afghan Surge -- The Independent
Reconciliation is America's new weapon against the Taliban. Kim Sengupta reports from Helmand.
The men looked frightened. Taken in handcuffs after US Marines found caches of Kalashnikovs, bomb-making material and opium during searches of their homes in a major offensive against the Taliban, their future looked bleak. But just 48 hours later the prisoners were brought back to their village and freed into the care of local elders.
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My Comment: I am skeptical that this will work .... but I am willing to see what happens in the next year. Getting caught, finger printed, and then paraded in front of everyone has a powerful impact on any prisoner. Being released doubles this impact .... with the realization that there will be no second chances.