A US special forces soldier, left, watches while Afghan militia wait in line to turn in their weapons at a military base in Kunduz, Afghanistan, October 22, 2003.
A long-awaited UN-sponsored project to disarm, demobilize, and reintegrate 100,000 soldiers across Afghanistan was under way in the north, a key step that was hoped would bring eventual peace to this war-torn country. The "New Beginnings Programme," which lets soldiers exchange their weapons for jobs, began in the northern province of Kunduz.