A key challenge for the stabilisation team and Marine commanders will be transforming Zahir, who does not hail from Marjah and knows few people there, into an influential local figure. Helmand provincial governor Gulab Mangal selected him for the post largely because he is a friend, but in meetings of tribal elders before the operation, he was primarily a backbencher.
The man with the most sway in Marjah is Abdul Rahman Jan, the former police chief in Helmand. His officers in Marjah were so corrupt and ruthless – their trademark was summary executions – that many residents welcomed the Taliban as a more humane alternative.
Although Jan, who has extensive ties to narcotics traffickers, was removed from his post in 2005 after pressure from the British government, which was then about to send forces to Helmand, he remains close to Karzai.
Jan injected himself into discussions with tribal leaders in the run-up to the current operation. US and British diplomats say they think he will seek to influence the shape of the future Marja government and police force, in an effort to protect his interests in the area.
“Karzai wants A.R.J. to be the guy calling the shots in Marjah, not Haji Zahir,” said a western diplomat familiar with the issue. “That makes building an effective, stable government there a very challenging proposition.”
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