Article: US forges new approach on aid to Afghans; 500 US civil-affairs soldiers blur the role of fighter and humanitarian - with varying success.(WORLD)

Byline: Scott Baldauf Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor

KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN -- They look like soldiers, march like soldiers, fight like soldiers, curse like soldiers. But when the fighting stops, US civil-affairs soldiers peel away from their unit, and remain in local villages to assess the humanitarian needs of the civilian population.

For the US Army, these civil-affairs teams are not just the key to winning the hearts and minds of Afghans; they may be the key to winning the war. And as the US enters another war in Iraq, this "hearts and minds" strategy, refined in the deserts of Afghanistan, the forests of Kosovo, and the mountains of ...

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