, an interesting insight into life on the frontline for Coalition forces in Afghanistan.
Of particular relevance is this extract pertaining to insurgent counter-propaganda, or not as it turns-out.
...Arriving at the town, Charlie Company's commander, Captain McChrystal, pointed out the new school that had been paid for by the Americans. Insurgents had blown it up after it was finished, and so the Americans paid for it to be rebuilt. It had been officially reopened the previous day, and the captain was keen to show me around. There was a general feeling among the soldiers that this type of "positive" story never gets published. They regularly express their frustration with the media's obsession with bad news.
McChrystal was obviously proud of the school. As we approached it two Afghan boys walked up to us, brave as you like. McChrystal commented on the fact that they were comfortable with the soldiers, probably due to the fact that there have been many patrols to this village. A local man arrived, but without with the key, as the captain had hoped. However, he was happy to climb over the wall and open the gates from the inside.
In we went, the translator asking the man questions about the official opening yesterday, and the captain pointing out all the features of the new school, what it would do for the local population, how it would contribute to the overall counter-insurgency efforts. And then, it all went wrong.
"Captain McChrystal!" called First Sergeant Collins from another room. "Sir, ACM [insurgent] pamphlets." He had in his hand a little piece of paper about the same size as a dollar bill. Printed in colour on both sides with a message written in Pashto and Dari, it looked very professional for insurgent propaganda. The message read: "The foreign warriors are killing our Muslims," according to the interpreters. Further investigation turned up more leaflets.
Insurgent propaganda leaflets found by US troops in the town of Rabat, Afghanistan. Photograph: John D McHugh McChrystal asked the man who scaled the school wall if he knew where the flyers had come from. He said he did not. He said there were many people at the official opening yesterday, and any one of them could have brought the leaflets with them.
In the courtyard soldiers were gathering the small handbills. Collins told me: "It's just something else to deal with. You come here the day after you open a school and find propaganda against you." But he seemed resigned rather than annoyed by the events.
Outside, the children had been edging closer to the soldiers. One of them had a flier in his pocket, and a soldier asked to see it. This flier was pro-government, showing the Afghan flag and telling the people than the Afghan government army was here to help and protect them.
Then things took a turn for the weird side. Both fliers carried identifying codes, and somebody noticed that they were almost identical. So, it appeared the government and insurgents were using the same printing company. It got worse. The interpreters asked the children where each of the leaflets came from. Each time, they got the same answer: the Afghan government army. Then one of the interpreters looked again at the flier. "Ah," he said. "It says the foreign jihadist fighters are killing our Muslims."
There was much discussion of this new and more favourable, if somewhat obtuse, interpretation. As McChrystal pointed out, if two well-educated interpreters couldn't decipher the flier, how were the farmers and labourers of Rabat supposed to?
Psychological Warfare / PSYOP
