Afghan battle turns to hearts and minds

By Peter Grant
BBC News, town of Gereshk, Afghanistan

UK troops in Afghanistan are continuing to work on building relationships with local townspeople in the hope of capturing hearts and minds.

British troops aim to help stabilise the country

The large arched tent was crowded. At the front, Captain Chris Burr was giving a briefing for the following day.

A few hours earlier, the men of Juliette Company 42 Commando Royal Marines had come back to their base after a fight with the Taleban.

Some were laughing and joking, others were quiet.

One or two seemed weighed down by more than just the huge amount of kit they were carrying.

But showered, fed and briefly rested they were ready to go again - they had been going into the nearby town of Gereshk.

There was ice on the seats of those vehicles, which were open as the convoy set off across a bleak, brown landscape under a clear morning sky.

I've put a lot of effort into working with the kids - they're going to be the future of Afghanistan Sergeant-Major Klaus Augustinus

The approach to Gereshk was past mud walls. Recently, heavy rains had left small lakes in deep hollows in the roads.

As the marines got out of their vehicles and walked towards the town, they were met with half-smiles and wary glances from the Afghans watching.

A single shot fired in warning at a car whose driver was reluctant to stop, did nothing to lift the mood.

It was the children who did that.

They stood in doorways or on street corners, sometimes singly but more often in groups.

The bolder ones grinned and shouted "Salaam". When the marines paused, they would cluster around.

Working with children

A Danish soldier with the patrol, Sergeant-Major Klaus Augustinus, who is working on civilian projects, chatted to them and let them peer through the sight of his rifle.

"I've put a lot of effort into working with the kids," he said, as he walked away.

"They're going to be the future of Afghanistan and hopefully they'll continue to wave at us.

"I adore kids. They smile at you, wave at you - make me happy."

Corporal Mick Cowe interacts with the local children

In the town centre, the traffic ranged from donkeys ladened with sacks to a truck with an internet address on its side.

There was the noise, bustle and colour that the outskirts had lacked.

And, as the patrol pushed on, so did a growing escort of children.

At halts they gathered around hoping for handouts especially, pens. But the marines do not give away free gifts.

A little bit of hearts and minds, if we don't do this work as well, we won't make any progress Corporal Mick Cowe

There have been instances in the past where children have raced across roads enthusiastically and been hit by vehicles or have clustered around a truck and been hurt when it moved.

Only a few of the marines wore helmets. In the town, soft hats or bare heads would do.

Chris Burr believes there has been a distinct improvement in the attitude of the townspeople towards the marines and he and the men of the patrol want that to continue.

Not that he is complacent.

He thought some of a crowd of men his patrol had passed might have been Taleban and the marines were quick to act when someone seemed to be using a mobile phone to report their progress.

Corporal Mick Cowe said the town centre is now "fairly benign" but the men are always on their guard. However, it was not long before another halt saw him mobbed by children.

Suicide bombers

A short time before he had been speaking about how the marines think "the combat side of the job is great".

But he dealt happily with the children - talking to them and smiling as they talked back even though neither could understand the other.

After four hours it was time to return to the vehicles. There was a final moment of tension as a white saloon car sped towards the marines.

Always vigilant for suicide bombers, they raised their weapons and it screeched to a halt. The children were hanging around until the marines left.

"It's nice to do the other half of our job" said Mick Cowe.

"A little bit of hearts and minds. If we don't do this work as well, we won't make any progress".