"They are fair to those that seek their protection and they safeguard properties and defend civilians, " said Gov. Hassan Saleh Jalali.

WSJ: Islamists Try to Firm Grip on Syria Regions

The king's arrival has been welcomed not only by fellow members of the Pushtun ethnic majority, like Mohammed Ali Jalali, of the eastern province of Paktika, but even by General Wasequllah, an ethnic Tajik and former Northern Alliance commander, who has just been named a general in the new Afghan army.

ECONOMIST: America to the rescue? | The