Instead the US and the UK relied on and paid for the services of local warlords.

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The local warlords, who probably profit from the trade, pay little heed to Mr Karzai or his police.

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Conscious that local warlords might try to co-opt the new recruits, Kandahar's provincial police chief is planning to create joint stations covering two or three districts.

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The home ministry is another crucial post that could change, given the rise of local warlords across the archipelago and the challenges presented by decentralising many government activities.

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They do so despite knowing that the central government of Hamid Karzai is desperately trying to establish its authority and has been hamstrung by the defiance of the local warlords.

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