HANDING full control back to the Afghan people will be a long process – similar to those which took place in Northern Ireland and former Balkan states.

QM Major Marc Steventon, a quartermaster serving with 2nd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards), said because the country had a long and troubled history its development had effectively been hampered.

He said: “Our role is to support legitimate Government to make sure stabilisation is there. It really is a country that has suffered, during the Soviet time and the Taliban time, it has been bombed back into the dark ages. It’s been held back.”

This tour for 2 Yorks involves training and mentoring the Afghan National Army and Maj Steventon said: “Our teams mentor the ANA and liaise with all other units. The operations are primarily ANA led and we support them.

“The teams work in smaller units than the rest of the battle groups do. We are spread right across Helmand and that’s what makes the job so unique.”

He added that the majority of British troops in Afghanistan were currently in the Helmand province and Camp Bastion was the main base. He said: “Our role is to support the Government of Afghanistan in bringing legitimate government and stability to the country.

“The biggest issue is the Taliban. They take over towns and villages and impose Sharia Law or their variation of it.”

The majority of the population in Helmand is living in what is known as the Green Zone – a narrow and fertile area around the Helmand River – with the rest of the province being desert with very little in it.

Maj Steventon said: “We have a Western culture and they are an eastern army. We’ve got to be able to instruct them to do their best. It may not be the best by western standards.

“They are very brave fighters but are not always tactically aware. Sometimes our guys have got to get them to think about what’s happening. It’s a challenging role.

“Afghanistan is a warrior nation, it’s inbred into them. The difficulty is stopping them fighting as

opposed to being more tactical. If they see a Taliban or a group in a field they will go for them. But they have to think why are they there?”

He added the rebuilding process made use of Afghan contractors who worked to Afghan standards. He said: “It’s an Afghan solution to an Afghan problem. For us to leave there has got to be a stable Afghan army and a stable Afghan police force.”

From The Scarborough Evening News on Tuesday, January 8, 2008.