Tribal leaders seen as key in terror war

WASHINGTON, June 8 (UPI) -- The U.S. government wasted an opportunity to forge alliances with tribal leaders along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, officials and diplomats say.

The tribal elders are seen as key to driving Islamic extremists from the border territory, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.

The newspaper reported that Washington has not reached out to its allies in Islamabad and Kabul to recruit the tribal leaders despite evidence suggesting militants are growing stronger along the border.

Reversing the trend will take years of aggressive counter-insurgency efforts, said one senior State Department official involved in South Asia issues who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

"It's hard, and an incredible contribution of resources, and you have to do it village by village," the official said. "But you have to start somewhere."

The official estimated 120 to 140 senior tribal leaders were killed in Pakistan, many in the last 18 months.

As a result, many tribal leaders have become more supportive of the Taliban and al-Qaida.

"It's like an old-fashioned gang war. And at the end of the day, al-Qaida had the money and the guns and they won the gang war," said Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., chairman of the House Terrorism and Unconventional Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee.