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Edition: U.S. Article Comments (0) Save Email Print Reprints Most Popular Most Shared Second U.S. sailor's remains found in Afghanistan 29 Jul 2010 Calcium supplements may raise risk of heart attack 29 Jul 2010 WikiLeaks may have blood on its hands, U.S. says | Video 29 Jul 2010 Special Report: Is immigration a desert mirage for the GOP? 27 Jul 2010 Brewer claims world's strongest beer 29 Jul 2010 French mother confesses to killing eight babies | Video 29 Jul 2010 Mexican army kills kingpin in drug war coup 29 Jul 2010 European shares little changed 3:21am EDT Bear kills man, injures two near Yellowstone Park 28 Jul 2010 Schwarzenegger declares California fiscal emergency 28 Jul 2010 Calcium supplements may raise risk of heart attack 29 Jul 2010 Best of European Athletics 29 Jul 2010 Drought strikes Russia 29 Jul 2010 Brewer claims world's strongest beer 29 Jul 2010 French mother confesses to killing eight babies | Video 29 Jul 2010 Bear kills man, injures two near Yellowstone Park 28 Jul 2010 Colombiamoda fashion 29 Jul 2010 Second U.S. sailor's remains found in Afghanistan 29 Jul 2010 Mental health experts ask: Will anyone be normal? 27 Jul 2010 Frank talk from Cameron shakes up British diplomacy 29 Jul 2010 Commentary Bernd Debusmann: Cuba and twisted logic, double standards It is time for the United States to stop trading with China and ban Americans from traveling there. Why? Look at the U.S. Department of State's most recent annual report on human rights around the world. Commentary Hearts and mind hard to reach in Afghan valley Digg This Tweet This Share on LinkedIn Share on Facebook Related News Afghan president asks why allies won't act on Pakistan Thu, Jul 29 2010 Special forces relieve pressure in Afghan valley Tue, Jul 27 2010 Special forces relieve pressure in Afghan valley Tue, Jul 27 2010 Explosives experts in bloody dance with bombmakers Sat, Jul 24 2010 Roadside bombs a daily menace for troops in Afghanistan Fri, Jul 23 2010 Related Topics World » Afghanistan » By Rob Taylor SAIDON KALACHEH | Fri Jul 30, 2010 1:40am EDT SAIDON KALACHEH Afghanistan (Reuters) - Defeating insurgents in Afghanistan's volatile Arghandab Valley would take time, but there were now enough U.S. and Afghan troops to defeat the Taliban, the area's U.S. commander says. A two-day push to widen security to "friendly" villages around a besieged U.S. combat post in Arghandab went awry this week, with American soldiers drawn into an insurgent fight and arguing with local people about their presence. Soldiers shot and killed two suspected Taliban who had opened fire on them, although local people said the men were farmers. They accused U.S. troops of reacting to a backfiring tractor, underscoring how difficult the American mission to win support in the Taliban's birthplace will be. Colonel Arthur Kandarian, who commands the 2nd Brigade of the U.S. 101st Airborne Division, said he was confident Afghan soldiers now joining U.S. troops would eventually convince local people that the Taliban no longer controlled the fertile farmlands of Afghanistan's bread basket. "I think we are going to be fine. Across the three districts that I'm in charge of, we're just starting to see additional forces in some of these areas. Security of the population takes time," Kandarian told Reuters. The Arghandab river valley is an important infiltration route used by the Taliban to attack U.S. forces and smuggle weapons and men a few miles east to Kandahar city. An operation across Kandahar by U.S. and NATO soldiers is being planned, but insurgents in Arghandab are tying up Kandarian's brigade with mines and hit-and-run attacks launched from thick cover in ripening grape and pomegranate plantations. "NO HEARTS AND MINDS HERE" U.S. commanders are pursuing a complicated counter-insurgency or COIN strategy, in which "protecting the population" takes priority over military efforts to defeat insurgents, thereby winning local "hearts and minds." But many frontline soldiers and junior officers believe the strategy will not work in Afghanistan, at least not before the July 2011 date set for the start of an American withdrawal by President Barack Obama. They point out that, unlike Iraqis, Afghans have never rallied behind a strong central government and have allegiances to their local tribal groups rather than provincial and district leaders friendly to the U.S. and Afghan President Hamid Karzai. "There are no friendly villages, there are no hearts and minds here," a U.S. soldier muttered as a lieutenant stood outside a mud-walled mosque at dawn in Saidon Kalacheh village this week, trying to convince the village leader or "malik" to let his troops stay a night. After a threat of a forceful occupation to run security patrols, locals eventually moved the platoon into a difficult-to-defend house compound and complained they would be killed by Taliban if seen lending any support. Kandarian said Afghan troops would bridge the cultural and trust differences in one of the most violent areas around Combat Outpost Nolen and the wider valley, but had only been conducting patrols for around five to six days. "I think the people are very resilient, and I think a lot of them that do own lands are probably farming in their lands and then they are temporarily moving to other locations until they figure out what the security is going to be like," he said. (Editing by David Fox) World Afghanistan Add a Comment *We welcome comments that advance the story directly or with relevant tangential information. We try to block comments that use offensive language or appear to be spam and review comments frequently to ensure they meet our standards. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. © Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters Editorial Editions: Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom United States Reuters Contact Us Advertise With Us Help Journalism Handbook Archive Site Index Video Index Reader Feedback Analyst Research Mobile Newsletters RSS Podcasts Widgets Your View Labs Thomson Reuters Copyright Disclaimer Privacy Professional Products Professional Products Support Financial Products About Thomson Reuters Careers Online Products Acquisitions Monthly Buyouts Venture Capital Journal International Financing Review Project Finance International PEhub.com PE Week FindLaw Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. 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