The Afghan loya jirga -- the grand tribal council called to form a post-Taliban government -- opened Tuesday amid continued political infighting and confusion over the roles of Afghan leaders.

As the term of the interim Afghan government comes to a close, the battle-scarred country is preparing for a "loya jirga" or traditional grand council, to choose a transitional leadership that will set the course for a post-Taliban Afghanistan.

By PBS News Hour

Interim Afghan Prime Minister Hamid Karzai today announced the names of 21 people selected to help pull together the first Loya Jirga--Afghan tribal council--in nearly four decades.