Heave-Ho Humvees

As we sat waiting for a repair team, a small crowd of bemused Afghans emerged from their mud-walled compounds. The American gunners standing in their turrets became agitated. "Get back, get back," they yelled, waving their arms wildly. The Afghan children took no notice. So the soldiers unravelled razor wire to block off the muddy track where we were stopped. A group of men seated outside a tiny mosque beckoned to us waving a pot of tea. The American soldiers were impassive, suspicious. But Nikki, my cameraman, and myself wandered over. The tea was delicious, syrupy, dark and sweet. And the welcome couldn't have been more friendly. Abdullah, a young English teacher, was eager to tell us "we like the Americans, they're doing a good job, we want them to stay for a long time." Unfortunately there were no Americans to hear him.