Marines Work to Gain Trust of Afghan Locals

(CBS)  For Marines in Marjah, counterinsurgency comes down to this: if you build it, they will come.

With a tent and some timber, in less than two hours they transformed a vacant lot into a makeshift school -- ready for the children of Marjah to get their first taste of a classroom education, reports CBS News correspondent Mandy Clark.

The first day of school comes the next day, and all the desks are taken. There are even a few girls, in the back row. The question is: How many of these kids will come back to class next week?

These Marines fought hard to take Marjah. They've seen 10 of their own killed here. Now they're on a new offensive -- a charm offensive.

Battalion commander Lt. Col. Brian Christmas spends much of his time walking the streets -- no helmet, no body armor -- reaching out to the people of Marjah, one at a time if that's what it takes.

He sits on the dusty floors with the village elders, trying to inspire them to stand up for themselves.

"If you have three Taliban who come into a village and only one man stands up, you're right, he's probably going to get shot by the Taliban, because the Taliban is only brave against one," Christmas said. "But the Taliban will not be brave against 40."

But Marjah is still a Taliban town. Many of the men gathered around are hardcore Taliban supporters, here to make sure no one speaks too freely.

"If we talk to the Americans, the Taliban will be waiting for us," an elder said. "The Marines can't protect us from them."

About a month ago, a 9-year-old boy was walking home from school and the Taliban grabbed him, beat him and left him tied up. Now the elders are telling the Marines that no one wants to go to school.

By now much of the civilian government should have been in Afghan hands, but the Marines are having a hard time getting local officials to step up and take over.

The Marines organized a ceremony to celebrate the signing of a contract for rebuilding the school.

But Christmas couldn't find the Afghan official who was supposed to lead the ceremony. He hid inside the school, refusing to go outside and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Americans.

"You have to be a leader for those children," Christmas said.

Finally, the official came out and signed the contract. It's a forced celebration, but Christmas is stubbornly upbeat.

"For 30 years they've had good reason to doubt. So we're showing them that doubt and that fear can go away and we're well on our way, but it takes patience and time," Christmas said.

Everything these Marines do is designed to send a clear message that they will be here for as long as it takes. The problem is, no one - not even the Marines - knows how long that will be.

[pchionchio]

Having my youngest boy stationed their, I hope our marvelous Marines stay safe and alive . Schools, hearts and minds, give me a break. Ihope he's home before Christmas

[f16poor]

Our Marines are doing a very good job trying to win over Afghan people so that Afghanistan will NOT become a safe haven for Arab al-Qaeda terrorists AGAIN.

I hope our Marvelous Marines will reach out to Talibans and explain to them what we are trying to do and win them over as well.

[skeezix06]

Thank you for illustrating the point I made in the last paragraph of my own post. "American viewers who don't bother to really look at and listen to the story"

[skeezix06]

I couldn't believe my eyes and ears when I saw this story. It is a vivid illustration of why the media should NOT be embedded.

We have an American officer who just happens to be named "Christmas" (can you say made for the subconscious of American tv viewers?) who is bringing a new school to a village living in fear of the Taliban.

They set up tents to symbolize the new building (any bets on how quickly the Taliban blow it up or shoot it full of holes?) they plan to build. In order to get the appearance of local cooperation, they have to go into the current, soon to be old or torn down, school and more or less drag him out to sign on to their plan in public. I wonder if he's still alive by the time they get the school built?...

Still we are assured that it will be quite some time before the village is able to stand against the Taliban, thereby indicating that we will never got out of the place. Apparently never getting out of the mideast IS the goal.

Anyway, photo-op set up, story put on tape to be sent to American tv and everyone's happy (read the military and the embedded reporters) except for the people of Afghanistan, who once again, have been used and victiimized and the American viewers who don't bother to really look at and listen to the story on the tube.

[amadeo123]

by working on helping those people they mean like that marine that filmed himself insulting those little kids in iraq and taunting them calling them gay and terrorists and putting it on his facebook? a true shame and dishonor of the uniform.

[rock0223]

If you're dealing with some gun-toting individual, here's my advice: be polite. Unless you have a gun, also. In that case, there might be some additional options.

[wyodutch]

Isn't it heart-warming... How we invade a backward little nation like Afghanistan and when we toss together a few scraps of lumber and old canvas... the people there give us big smiles and tell us how glad they are that we are occupying their villages.
.
They're not *really* people... not like us anyway... so when we kill a few here and there by mistake, it's not like we're killing people.
.
Isn't it great to be part of the Empire?

[mike 901]

When it Comes to Winning the Trust of Taliban-Fearing Residents, Hammers and Shovels are as Important as Guns
Yeah right Mandy Clark, You and Christmas from the same white-bread culdesac or what ? Really ! do some research, read the history, then make an honest informed report. Maybe it's a dream world, or you're pulling these feel good phrases out of your rear.

[mike 901]

If this guy Christmas believes what he's chanting, then he is a clown. The men he is talking to are the Taliban ! Dude ! It's painfully obvious . C'mon

[ltchang]

The reporter Mandy Clark wears a shirt with two top buttons open needs a reminder that she is reporting from a Muslim country that certain respect for local custom needs to be in order.

[mike 901]

if your not a muslim these religious laws should not apply. Let'm get used to it.

[mike 901]

"If we talk to the Americans, the Taliban will be waiting for us," an elder said. "The Marines can't protect us from them."

That's why nobody who comes to Afghanistan wins. It's going to be an indefinite police-action. To protect pipelines. All this posturing is bull, and they know it.