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Within the war, family
by Griff Witte
peshawar, pakistan — Yar
Dad Khan sleeps with a Kalash- nikov assault rifle in his bed, primed for the day his cousin re- turns. His cousin is a local Taliban commander in northwestern Pa- kistan. Khan is a pro-government tribal leader. The two men do not get along. In the rough borderlands be-
tween Pakistan and Afghanistan, the global war against the Taliban often boils down to a family feud, pitting tribe against tribe, son against father, brother against brother.
While the Taliban leadership professes devotion to a 7th-centu- ry interpretation of Islam, many insurgents have far more parochi- al interests. They want revenge for an old grievance against their neighbors, or to settle a score with relatives. The local passions enveloped in the broader conflict help to ex- plain why the United States and its allies have struggled for more than eight years to end the in- surgency, without success. The tribal and familial infighting is not new, but now it has the veneer of a civilizational clash, with more weapons, money and recruits to keep the enmities fresh. “There are so many factors that contribute to Talibanization,” said Saad Muhammad, a retired Paki- stani general who directs a con- flict-oriented think tank in this frontier city. “But by and large, it’s just a young person getting an idea and signing up.” Khan, the pro-government trib- al leader, told the story of his struggle with the Taliban from the relative safety of a house that his family has rented in Peshawar, about 20 miles south of their na- tive tribal area of Mohmand. The shabby brick house is lo-
cated down a narrow dirt lane and is indistinguishable from dozens of others on the block, or from millions of others in this teeming city. Khan and his rela- tives say they don’t think Khan’s
taliban continued on A9
The Redskins get acquainted
Donovan McNabb and the Redskins wrap up their first minicamp under Coach Mike Shanahan. Columnist Tracee Hamilton says the change is evident at Redskins Park.
Sports, D1
MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2010
A final farewell to Poland’s president
feuds
Some join Taliban to settle scores with relatives
IMPACT SPREADS
Airlines say tests show volcanic ash is clearing
by Anthony Faiola and Karla Adam
london — Civil aviation au- thorities in Europe came under heavy pressure Sunday to ease flight restrictions as airlines and government officials sought to limit the economic fallout from a crisis that is disrupting the global trade in goods as varied as pre- cious gems and tropical fruit. Airlines, which have suffered billions of dollars in uninsured losses, said test flights over Eu- rope indicated that the ash ema- nating from an Icelandic volcano had cleared in some areas and suggested that aviation officials overreacted to the threat posed to jet engines. The European Union’s transportation commis- sioner, meanwhile, called for an easing of the travel bans, which have grounded an estimated
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Europe’s aviation officials urged to
drop flight bans
ECONOMIC
63,000 flights since Thursday. Despite such pleas, the deci- sion on when to reopen the skies rests with national aviation au- thorities, and some — including those in Britain — extended near- absolute flight restrictions until at least late Monday. The calls to loosen restrictions came as concerns grew about the crisis’s economic implications. Fears were mounting, in partic- ular, about the consequences for the still-fragile economic recov- ery in Europe should the travel bans stretch on for weeks. The tentacles of the crisis have already stretched into the global supply chain. Auto factories in China that use electronic parts flown in from Germany faced a sudden halt in shipments. A log- jam forming in the international diamond trade threatened to de- lay the shipment of necklaces and wedding rings if flights are not resumed between cutters in India and dealers in Antwerp, Belgium. “It is going to take us four or
five days to get back to normal if the ban is lifted this week,” said Rohit Mehta, president of the Su- rat Diamond Association in In- dia. “But if it goes on for two or
volcano continued on A7
FABRIZIO BENSCH/REUTERS
Soldiers carry the coffins of Polish President Lech Kaczynski and his wife, Maria, outside Krakow’s main cathedral. The cloud of volcanic ash over Europe meant many world leaders were unable to travel to the memorial ceremonies for Kaczynski, who died in a plane crash April 10. Story, A8.
NEW HEADACHES FOR THE PARTY IN POWER
With W.Va. coal politics, a new edge
Mine blast highlighted new realities for three veteran lawmakers
by David A. Fahrenthold, Frank Ahrens
and Steven Mufson
In southern West Virginia, it used to look as if three Demo- crats, who have served in Wash- ington for a combined 115 years, had figured out the delicate, occa- sionally violent politics of Appa- lachian coal. It used to. Now, the underground explo- sion that killed 29 miners in Montcoal, W.Va., has only wors- ened the uncomfortable spotlight on the three: Rep. Nick J. Rahall II, Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV and Sen. Robert C. Byrd. They were already being pulled in opposite directions by a Demo- cratic White House and home-
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Dan Beyers, a Post editor with extensive experience overseeing our regional business report. V. Dion Haynes, a longtime
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We’ll continue to feature the same robust daily local-business page in the main paper and to publish Washington Business, the Monday report that runs inside the A-section of The Post each week Complimentary copies of Capital Business will be distributed over the next four weeks to all Monday subscribers. Please let us know what you think of it and how we can make it better serve your needs by writing
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THE NATION
Armed and rallying
Dozens of self-proclaimed patriots plan to protest what they see as trampled rights. A3
METRO
Rebuilding St. E’s
St. Elizabeths attempts to recapture the prestige the hospital once held. B1
POLITICS
Meet Diane Wood
The potential Supreme Court nominee may face questions about rulings on abortion. A5
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Details, B2
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state interests, which had crit- icized administration policies on climate change and “mountain- top removal” mining. Now they are in the middle of a debate about whether the federal govern- ment let coal companies skirt safety rules. The reactions have been as dif- ferent as the men. Byrd, in Con- gress since 1953 and essentially untouchable, has become an un- likely critic of the industry he championed for decades. Rocke- feller, first elected in 1984, has learned hard lessons about chal- lenging coal. He has asked for pa- tience during an investigation. Rahall, elected in 1976, is facing
a possible reelection fight against a close industry ally. His test in the next year will be whether the region’s old political dance — run- ning for coal, but also against its worst attributes — can work when the issue is newly divisive in West Virginia and Washington.
coal continued on A10
Labor groups break off from N.C. Democrats
New party emerges from anger over votes against health-care bill
by Philip Rucker
WIN MCNAMEE/GETTY IMAGES
Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.) has become a critic of the coal industry after being its champion for many years.
raleigh, n.c. — A political re-
bellion is brewing inside an old funeral home near the state Capi- tol here. Frustrated liberals and labor organizers are taking aim at the Democratic Party, rushing to gather enough signatures to start a third party that they be- lieve could help oust three Demo- cratic congressmen. Less than two years ago, this same funeral home was a com- mand post for the grass-roots army that propelled Barack Oba- ma to victory in this conservative swing state. Here is where sup- porters distributed signs and
INSIDE
HOCKEY
Caps’ Game 3 tonight
It’s unclear which goaltender will be in the net for the Capitals as the Canadiens head to home ice in the tied series. Sports, D1
«THE WORLD
Expo sights won’t linger
For the World Expo, Chinese officials are building lavishly, but structures won’t last long, unlike now-empty Olympic venues. A8
OPINIONS
1
The Heritage Foundation says President Obama is twisting its ideas on health reform. A15
The Washington Post Year 133, No. 135
CONTENTS© 2010
stickers, sorted lists of registered voters and rallied with a Johnny Cash cover band. Now, some of Obama’s sup-
porters are mounting a defiant strike against the president’s par- ty. The nascent third party, North Carolina First, could endanger the Democratic congressional majority by siphoning votes from incumbent Democrats in Novem- ber’s midterm election, poten- tially enabling Republican chal- lengers to pick up the seats. Organizers say they are so fed up with Democrats who did not support health-care reform that they simply do not care. “Our whole agenda is to turn
that apple cart around and say, ‘No more are we going to blindly support you because you’re a Democrat,’ ” said Dana S. Cope, executive director of the 55,000-
democrats continued on A10
PETER DEJONG/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Travelers stranded at Schiphol international airport in Amsterdam walk the terminal, filling time. Travel bans have grounded an estimated 63,000 flights since Thursday.
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