Return To Normalcy

This just in about an hour ago (Western news services don't seem to have picked up on the story yet, it being the middle of the night in most of North America):

"A total of 3,998 children, all boys, and the majority being aged 14-17 years old have been demobilized in 15 provinces in north, northeast, east and central Afghanistan since the program began in February," Edward Carwardine told reporters here.

UNICEF estimated that there were about 8,000 former child soldiers in Afghanistan with majority of whom were forcibly conscripted by fighting groups and local commanders over the last years of war.

All the demobilized soldiers, the spokesman added would be enrolled in schools or provided with vocational training to enablethem to earn a livelihood and support their families.

"UNICEF now hopes to complete the demobilization program in the provinces of south, west and southeast of the country not covered in 2004," the spokesman noted.

Those who had no future have one now. It's a start.