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More on KentOnline
"We only want peace." That is the simple desire of Afghan civilians living in Musa Qal’eh in northern Helmand province.
Kent-based troops from B Company of the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment went out on a routine reassurance patrol last Saturday (February 21) from Patrol Base Minden around 6 km south of the Musa Qal’eh District Centre.
KM Group reporter Chris Price is out in Afghanistan with our Kent troops. Here is another report from the frontlines.
The patrol is part of the effort to encourage civilians to talk freely to the British army about any issues they have.
Soldiers handed out sweets and biscuits to children who ran up to them to say “Salaam Aleikum” or “God be with you”. They also spoke to elders who farm the nearby area.
A local religious teacher Mullah Achmed said: "I do not talk politics. I only talk about what affects people spiritually. I hope one day all Afghanistan will live in peace.
"People around these areas feel secure. However, further south (the area under Taliban control) people are not well and they are unhappy.
"Islam does not belong to politics. Be it Paris, New York, London, we want the message of Islam to go all over the world. We are very good people. We want all people to go to heaven and an end to this war will allow that."
Sgt Simon Palmer is from the MSST (Military Stablisation and Support Team) which instigates contact with the Afghan civilians.
On patrol, Sgt Palmer talks to civilians about their problems and concerns by using interpreters employed from all over the country.
"We often get people saying it is good we are here," he said. "Between Patrol Base Minden in the south and the District Centre people are very happy.
"But one of the difficulties we can face is when we try to talk to the locals about improvements every one of the elders of each group has to have their say.
"They interrupt you and sometimes you have to say 'stop, I’m talking' to get things going."
Sgt Palmer has grown a beard as a sign of respect to the local culture. "They call me 'Spingeri' or 'White Beard' which is like a term of respect," he said.
"All this is very important education for both sides. They get to know what we want and we get to know what they want as well."
The MSST produce posters, flyers and also provide a radio service – Musa Qal’eh FM – which gives advice to civilians on things varying from how to farm to being safe from IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices).
"A lot is educational in the form of pictograms saying things like 'don’t pick up bombs'," said Sgt Palmer.
"We use pictures because the majority of the locals cannot read or write so often pictures are the only language the locals can understand."
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