A tale of two Afghan villages

[Robb]

http://www.canada.com/tale+Afghan+villages/2947436/story.html">A tale of two Afghan villages

Stark differences can be seen between neighbouring towns 10 km south of Kandahar

Violence, greed and poverty: the trio of ills hampering development efforts in Afghanistan confronted a Canadian Forces patrol this week in two villages that sit beside each other but remain worlds apart.

For these soldiers from the military's construction, civilian-co-operation and combat groups, the journey through West Teymurian and Angurian, 10 kilometres southwest of Kandahar City, is an exercise in frustration, a struggle for compassion and further evidence that success here is measured in tiny steps.

They leave just after sunrise -- led by two Afghan policemen to put a government face on the mission -- marching from a tiny fortified outpost by the Tarnak River, past green fields of ripening wheat sprinkled with pot plants. At the outskirts of West Teymurian, a large white dog approaches, barking ferociously but showing enough sense to keep its distance from soldiers and officers bristling with guns, rockets and grenades.

Inside the village, a toddler sits on a dirt road, her feet in a Canadian-built concrete gutter clotted with sewage, mud and trash. She looks at the soldiers and starts to cry. An older boy scoops her up and runs into a compound. Other children greet the soldiers in Pashto and follow behind.....

No lessons or solutions in this article, but a good quick read nonetheless.