In Afghanistan, council opens with focus on US military bases, night raids

In Afghanistan, leaders from across the country met in Kabul today for a general council meeting despite threats of insurgent attacks. The four-day Loya Jirga began under tight security. President Hamid Karzai called for the assembly of elders to discuss the future of US troops in the country, including permanent bases. Although some Afghan leaders questioned the credibility of the gathering, and a few planned to boycott it, others welcomed Karzai's insistence that controversial US night raids - which have killed many civilians - need to end. To find out more about the discussions and the politics of the meeting, FSRN's Bilal Jawad spoke to the leader of the Afghan Liberal Party, Ajmal Suhail.