HS in Afghanistan: Young Finnish soldiers in pursuit of the Taleban

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By Sami Sillanpää in Charar Bolak
     
      Over there, around the corner, there could be a Taleban fighter. Members of the ferocious Afghan rebels have been hiding here.
      Sergeant Samuli steps forward with an assault rifle in his hand, wearing a flak jacket and a helmet. The muddy village road makes sounds beneath his feet as he gets closer to the corner.
      Samuli turns his head and sees a group of ragged children. They wave.
     
Sergeant Samuli has come here from Tuusula. Next spring he plans to apply to study economics.
      But first, it’s time to destroy the Taleban. “I thought that we’re here for a good cause”, Samuli says.
      On the sleeve of Samuli’s uniform reads NATO. The military alliance leads the ISAF operation, in which Finland and Sweden jointly patrol in four provinces in the north of Afghanistan.
     
In Finland the soldiers are generally called “peacekeeping forces” but the soldiers themselves say that they are involved in crisis management.
      Actually it is a battle for hearts and minds. Whoever wins the emotions of ordinary Afghans onto their side, wins the war.
      “Oppose the ISAF forces! Death to informers! Don’t let girls go to school!” These kinds of slogans are spread by the Taleban in this run-down village as well.
     
“Report the Taleban! ISAF brings peace and development!” This is the message that the ISAF forces have been bringing to villagers here. The weapons are posters and paper leaflets.
      “Forward”, shouts the commander of the operation, Major Teemu.
      The order comes in English, the main part of the force is a Finnish Jaeger company, but there are also a few Swedish and Afghan soldiers.
     
The group of dozens of soldiers moves briskly forward in two rows on both sides of the village street. Occasionally they stop, raise their rifles to their shoulders and peer between the sand-coloured houses.
      No enemy in sight.
      From the mosque there is a call for midday prayers. A child is crying somewhere.
     
The houses of the village look the same. They were made of clay, with grass mixed in. There is no drainage. Street lighting is an electric cord with an incandescent light bulb hanging on it.
      Over here the first thoughts in the morning are not about world politics. The goal each day is to stay alive and get food.
     
Many ordinary Taleban – or other rebels – do not primarily operate for ideological reasons. It is easy to entice poor, unemployed boys with money. As a Taleban a boy can be a tough guy, and if religious leaders stir up hate against the West, young minds can respond.
      In this part of the world most suicide bombers are teenagers.
      The people that the Taleban fight are also young. Most of the Finnish soldiers in the company are about 20 years of age, who finished their mandatory military service in the late summer. In September they came to Mazar-i-Sharif.
     
Afghanistan is a meeting place for the youth of the world in other respects. A quarter of the countries in the world take part in the ISAF operation, and old people are not put in harm’s way for this cause.
      “In this job the pay is also pretty good for a 21-year-old”, Samuli says.
      With the per diems, the income can be as high as EUR 5,000 a month.
     
Now things are starting to happen at the main village square.
      Major Teemu gives an order into a microphone hanging next to his mouth. The message is radioed to the entire group. The soldiers take their positions on the edge of the square.
     
Major Teemu and his interpreter walk to the middle. A corpulent man limps forward.
      There are a few minutes of confusion. Who is this man?
      Finally it comes out that a Taleban is standing before them – or at least a former Taleban.
     
The man says that his name is Faqir Muhammed. His present task is to lead a group of guards in the village. “Our group is comprised of former Taleban. We gave up our arms, and now we live in our houses and move around in the village just like everyone else”, Muhammed says.
      That is how it goes. During the approximately 30 years of war the Afghans have learned to consider it a virtue to know when to take the side of whoever is on top. At least now, at least here in the north, the Afghan government, its army, and the ISAF forces supporting them seem to be winning.
      In the past couple of months more than 100 rebels in the area patrolled by Finland and Sweden have changed sides. Many are recruited immediately as police. Usually they get their rifles back when this happens. After all, in these parts a man is nothing without a gun.
     
Then the situation becomes tricky.
      The way out is two metres across a muddy field. A Finnish soldier is in trouble there with a boot stuck in the mud. Fortunately another soldier comes to his aid.
      Additional forces would also have been available if the patrol in the Taleban village had led to a fire-fight. This has happened a few times this year.
      In case such a thing happens, a support group of the Jaeger company was ready a few kilometres from the village, ready at short notice to fire their grenade launchers.
     
When it becomes dark and the soldiers seek out a campsite on the desert, the launchers are made ready.
      In the autumn, they have slept in the open many times. Now it is rainy, and the temperature at night falls to just a few degrees above freezing, so they actually pitch a tent.
     
Sergeant Linda of the grenade group prepares dinner of hot water and a ration bag.
      “From the beginning of my military service I wanted to join an operation. I wanted to see the world and have an impact on what is done here”, Linda says.
      Around the camp the dark desert spreads out, and the wind howls.
      The young soldiers do not go to sleep yet. They are so eager to discuss their Facebook updates.
     
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 19.11.2011
     
For security reasons, the soldiers mentioned in this article are identified only by their given names.

More on this subject:
 HS in Afghanistan: In Mazar-i-Sharif soldiers carry weapons even at their base camp
 HS in Afghanistan: Mazar residents welcome peace, praise ISAF
 Fewer soldiers, more development cooperation for Afghanistan

Previously in HS International Edition:
  Finnish peacekeeper killed in Afghanistan (23.5.2007)
  Afghan forces to take responsibility for zone now under Finnish supervision (28.10.2011)
  Grief becomes real for Finns in Afghanistan (17.2.2011)
  Finnish forces come under fire in Afghanistan (7.9.2010)

SAMI SILLANPÄÄ / Helsingin Sanomat
sami.sillanpaa@hs.fi