It goes by the unpropitious name of WHAM – ‘Winning Hearts And Minds’ – and it’s a key strategy in the coalition forces’ war against the Taliban and other insurgents. Teams of soldiers and some civilians – called PRTs or ‘provincial reconstruction teams’ – go about the country building schools, hospitals and the like.
Is WHAM working? A recent report1 surveyed some 60 Afghans – including aid workers, clerics, journalists, local leaders, civil servants – in three regions. Here’s a sample of their views.
