For the tribal peoples of Waziristan, the mountainous region in northwest Pakistan that borders Afghanistan, every day is like Sept. 11. Every day, people are killed by American drone strikes, Afghan terrorists, Pakistanis looking for terrorists or their own tribal rivalries. American experts have called the region the epicenter of the war on terror.

In 2004, the United States took a major stride forward by helping to establish a democracy in Afghanistan. Although successful in some of the big, Westernized cities, much of the country — which has been made up of tribal regions for centuries — rejects and refuses to recognize the new government.

Ahmed, former Pakistan ambassador to the United Kingdom and Ireland, will discuss those tribal societies at 2 p.m. Monday in the Hall of Philosophy. He will focus on Pakistani tribes and the problems those tribes cause for both Pakistan and the U.S., drawing from his scholarly studies and personal experiences in Pakistan.