ABSTRACT
Although Afghanistan is also home to massive stockpiles of heavy weapons and munitions (from battle tanks to SCUD rockets), small arms are particularly significant in terms of their dominant combat role and their local political impact. According to Tarzi:
heavy weapons are not the weapon of choice for local or regional militias. Since early 2002, only once have warlords used main battle tanks against each other. Even antigovernment forces such as the neoTaliban do not rely on heavy weaponry. The power of warlords, regional commanders, and others in control of armed groups outside the government is determined by the number of fighting men and the availability of small arms.
