TERIN KOWT, Afghanistan - As he asked God to bless a new trade school in a ruggedly beautiful, yet grindingly poor mountainous corner of southern Afghanistan, Mullah Maulwai Harmdullah tacked on a plea to NATO at the end of his prayer.
"We're surrounded by the Taliban,'' Harmdullah told an audience Saturday that included the military alliance's southern commander and two members of Afghan President Hamid Karzai's cabinet.
"We need more security.''
His appeal was echoed by the mayor of Terin Kowt, Mohammed Kabir, who added there needs to be more protection for schools, especially a girl's school, in the town, which is nestled in amid soaring, snow-capped peaks.
Both statements were polite rebukes of NATO's tip-toe approach to the Taliban in the sparsely populated province Oruzgan, north of Kandahar.
As further, not-so-subtle punctuation to their pleas, a U.S. Apache gunship circled overhead during the ceremony, conducting target practice outside the abundantly fortified base where the Afghan training school is located. The heavy drumbeat thud of the attack helicopter's Gatling gun was intermingled with the speeches.
One of the nine students at the school, which teaches rudimentary carpentry skills, said the town Tarin Kowt -- known locally as TK -- is largely safe but once out into the rural areas, militants are in charge.
"The other side of the river, there's a lot of difficulties there,'' said Najeebullha.
The approach in Oruzgan -- spearheaded by the Dutch and the Australians -- can best be decribed as war lite. The partners concentrate on winning the confidence of locals by keeping a low profile and never entering villages where they haven't been invited.
Unlike Canadians, Americans and British in provinces to the south of them, the Dutch and Australians have not aggressively patrolled far beyond the provincial capital or sought out extremists in the hinterland.
"I believe we're on the right track,'' said Maj.-Gen. Ton Van Loon, the Dutch commander, who also happens to be in charge of all NATO forces in southern Afghanistan.
He acknowledged the criticism Saturday but insisted the kinder, gentler approach to counter-insurgency warfare, which has thus far generated few casualties -- either military or civilian -- will work.
"I'm quite sure there are some areas in Oruzgan and also in other regions in the south and even in the east and west where we do not have full control, where the government does not have full control and that's what you need to work on,'' Van Loon said.
"You have to start somewhere and this is where we've started.''
Much like the controversial and now defunct ceasefire negotiated with the Taliban in Musa Qala, in the British zone of Helmand province, the experiment in Oruzgan has been criticized privately by other allies, principally the United States.
Van Loon insisted upon patience.
"We are really making progress at the moment,'' he said.
"Sometimes we are a bit too optimistic. You cannot expect Afghanistan -- or Oruzgan to change in six months.''
"That's asking a bit too much.''
The key to success lies in pouring on the reconstruction, he said, pointing to the practical benefit of training a new generation of carpenters and tradespeople.
The Australians, who are not members of NATO but contribute 400 engineers and soldiers to the mission nonetheless are also sold on the concept.
"We plant the seed in their heads to take on a saw instead of a rifle,'' Warrant Officer Second Class Greg Polson said of his carpentry students.
"That's the choice we want to give them.''
Van Loon is confident once more young men are trained, their "story will be quick to spread.''
But, Mullah Harmdullah warned if the Taliban learn the identities of the young men attending the month-long course, the students "would be slaughtered.''
The men at the trade school are paid to attend. But the going rate of US$4 a day is three-times less than what the Taliban offers its new recruits.
