Foreign troops try to win hearts and minds

Although the 4,500-strong International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) usually makes the news when there's a security breakdown in the Afghan capital Kabul, the troops are trying make a name for themselves by winning hearts and minds with a series of community-based quick impact projects. Eager young soldiers from the multi-national force have been rolling up their sleeves, renovating schools, restoring water supplies and repairing roads all over town. "The more we interact, the more we become accepted when working with the local population and the easier our job becomes," ISAF spokesman Flt Lt Tony Marshall told IRIN. ISAF's mandate is to provide security in and around Kabul as the interim government establishes itself. With regular security problems in other parts of the country - from Monday's bomb blast in the eastern city of Jalalabad to reports of human rights abuses against Pashtun minority communities in the north -the government would like very much like to see ISAF cover the whole country, something neither the US nor Britain are supporting. Although ISAF soldiers appear to enjoy good relations with local people - the most patrols usually have to deal with is hundreds of screaming children - not everything has proven smooth as the force works to maintain security in the capital. In February, a man was shot and killed by ISAF soldiers as he attempted to bring his pregnant wife to hospital. On Sunday ISAF's main base in Kabul was attacked with at least two Chinese-made rockets. Incidents like these show how volatile Kabul remains and how difficult the job of peacekeeping in the city has become. Despite these and other problems, ISAF said it would continue its community programme. Members of the international force can even be found at Kabul's battered airport where wrecked fighters litter the runway and the arrivals hall is riddled with bullet holes. An operational fire service at the airport is crucial to enable commercial and passenger flights to resume - vital to the economic regeneration of the capital. For the first time in 10 years firemen stationed at Kabul airport may be able to carry out their job properly thanks to a training programme run by a Royal Air Force (RAF) contingent from ISAF. "During the Taliban rule we would come to the control tower in the morning, sit here for a few hours and then go home because we had no equipment to work with," Kabul airport fire chief Sher Ahmed told IRIN. The 55-year-old had served at the station for 35 years. Militias fought for control of the airport several times during Afghanistan's twenty-year old conflict. Ahmed's fire engines are wrecked and most of his equipment is either broken or obsolete. All they have now to fight blazes are a couple of hand extinguishers. "This is all we had and they are not powerful enough to deal with the type of fires we had at the airport, so it was difficult to save vehicles on fire," Ahmed explained. But things have changed since ISAF got involved. Dressed in bright orange uniforms, 18 enthusiastic airport fire fighters have started training with three ISAF officers, who are bringing them up to date with modern technology and will eventually supply them with some fire engines. "Times have moved on. They have the basic knowledge but we are now showing them new techniques," RAF Sergeant Richie Boyle told IRIN. Every morning, Monday to Thursday, the Afghans spend two hours carrying out wet and dry drills and continue in the afternoon with theory lessons. "We are teaching them how to use water hose pipes on engines, teaching them mapping and the science of fire," Boyle said. The men will also be provided with manuals translated into Dari and Pashtu so that they can continue to learn at home. The fire service across the capital is virtually non-existent and in a state of total disrepair, Boyle stressed. "We have also invited 30 fire fighters from the HQ in Kabul to train here later this month and we will continue training for as long as we are here," he said.