Friends and occupiers in Mosul

By Paul Wood BBC Middle East correspondent

Mosul has proved uneasy ground for US soldiers

The BBC's Middle East correspondent Paul Wood reports on the US 101st Airborne Division's campaign to win hearts and minds in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. His report contains strong language.

"Be aware, be aware, two days ago we got fragged doing this [place]."

This warning is yelled out by a young American Airborne trooper standing on the open back of a green Humvee as other members of his squad climb aboard.

We are in the northern city of Mosul with the Widowmakers - more formally the 2nd Brigade, 3rd Battalion-502nd Infantry of the 101st Airborne Division.

The mission today is to return to the street where, 48 hours ago, one of these soldiers had his leg blown off by a home-made bomb flung from a roof-top.

The Widowmakers will go to the house of two brothers they arrested for this attack - and give their children footballs.

No 'playing nice'

This is the 101st's "hearts and minds" strategy, which the division's commander, Major General David Petraeus, told me earlier was central to hopes of "handing the ball off" in Iraq.

"I still think that the population here sees us an army of liberation rather than an army of occupation," he said.

"But we're in a race for the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people.

"Some people would like to trip us up on the way to the finish line.

"And some of them would actually like to kill us on the way to the finish line."

In the back of the Humvee, the debate is continuing.

"They're throwing grenades into our vehicles and blowing our fucking limbs off and we're handing fucking footballs out," says another trooper.

"We ought to be going house-to-house and killing a few of them."

Another soldier says: "They don't play around nice, sarnt-major."

'Strike, kill'

It is not that the soldiers do not like "hearts and minds".

It is just that at the sharp end, there are contradictions in being both friend and occupying power.

So, as the convoy of four Humvees pulls out, first they pass the sign which General Petraeus has ordered in all barracks: "What have you done to win Iraqi hearts and minds today?"

Then at the gate, the Widowmakers' traditional slogan: "Strike, Kill."

We drive through the streets of Mosul, guns pointing outwards from the Humvees.

Children wave and shout "Mister, Mister", the only English they know.

It is not yet 10 in the morning and already it is blistering hot and everyone swelters in flak jackets and helmets.

When we get there, soldiers take up positions around the house.

Negotiations

The "fragging" took place at night.

It's a rollercoaster - we'll go a week or two weeks with a nice situation then all of a sudden, there's a spate of attacks Division Commander Major General David Petraeus

Daytime attacks are rare, but the squad still seem nervous about the reception they will get.

The Americans bunch up at the doorway while negotiations continue with the men's mother and brothers.

One soldier holds a clear plastic sack of bright silver footballs.

The Widowmakers are invited in.

There is a throng of little boys - arms out for the footballs - while the girls and smaller boys get beanie babies.

The children's faces are joyful, but the arrested men's mother is distraught.

"We're against Saddam here," she says, pleading with the Americans soldiers to release her sons.

"As much as you are precious to your mother in America and she loves you, I love my sons and I want them back."

"If your sons are not guilty then they will be brought back home," the young lieutenant in charge of the squad says.

"We wanted to come by and make sure all the kids were doing OK and let you know that your men are fine and they're being well taken care of."

'Contact, contact!'

The mother is still tearful. But she also says the Americans are welcome to stay for dinner.

This visit is another success for hearts and minds. It happens all the time, say officers of the 101st.

Outside, as we leave, a crowd of laughing, shouting children runs after the Humvees.

Then someone in the crowd throws a stone.

"Contact, contact," one of the American soldiers shouts into his radio.

The Americans are travelling with members of a new Iraqi security force they are training.

The Iraqis snap the safety off their Kalashnikovs, then give chase.

The children who until a few seconds ago had been waving and smiling now flee in terror.

Modern nation-building

Such incidents are an indication of how the mood can change in a second.

The 101st know they must try to remain friends with the local Iraqis

"It's a rollercoaster," says Major General Petraeus, speaking about the more serious attacks on his troops.

"We'll go a week or two weeks with a nice situation.

"Then all of a sudden, there's a spate of attacks as one organiser or another returns with a fist full of dollars and finds some destitute individuals willing - because they're so desperate - to take a shot at our soldiers."

So at the 101st's daily staff meeting, they spend money.

Millions of dollars have been dispersed by General Petraus already.

When I was there, he discussed funding a volleyball league for Mosul. Such is modern nation-building.

"The solution here is going to be very holistic, it's going to be military, it's going to be political," the general said.

"When you put an Iraqi face on the government everything improves."

Going home

The general stressed that it was only a handful of people carrying out the attacks.

One good sign was that "humint", or human intelligence, was flowing in, something put down to the success of the hearts and minds campaign.

My last trip out with the Widowmakers was to raid a bakery suspected of hiding weapons.

They asked politely to come in and when they did not find anything serious, they gave the owner his pistol back.

The man said he understood the search - there had been attacks on US soldiers nearby - and gave the Widowmakers a cheerful wave goodbye.

The 101st know they must remain friends with the Iraqi people if they are to defeat the last of the old regime... and go home.