What is a loya jirga? Afghanistan's most pivotal jirgas since 2002.

Afghanistan has had fewer than 20 loya jirgas in the past 300 years, about a quarter of which have taken place in the past 10 years. Here are the top four most pivotal jirgas of the past decade.

4. November 2011 - What will happen after the US leaves?

Ahmad Masood/Reuters
Members of the Loya Jirga stand up as the national anthem plays during the inauguration of Loya Jirga in Kabul, Afghainstan, Wednesday.

As the US begins its troop drawdown, President Hamid Karzai has called more than 2,000 Afghan leaders to Kabul for a loya jirga to discuss the future of strategic relations with the US and reconciliation talks with the Taliban and other insurgent groups.

Because the loya jirga is not an official decision-making body, at the end of the four-day meeting it will provide the president and parliament with their recommendations.

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