(15 Apr 2011)
AP Television
Tarok Kolache Village, Arghandab District, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan - April 4, 2011
1. Close of US soldier in helicopter
2. Various aerial views of Arghandab District from helicopter
3. Various of US soldiers in Arghandab district
4. Mid of villagers
5. Various of villagers rebuilding houses which were destroyed in US military air strike
6. Mid of U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel David Flynn, commander of Combined Joint Task Force 1-320th talking with villagers
7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Lt. Col. David Flynn:
"What we are trying to do is to make this village as close to what it used to be back before the Taliban moved in. And I think we well on our way right now, we are progressing along as expected. We have got five structures, five homes right now that are under construction and we have a total of 15 that will be built in this this wave of reconstruction."
8. Wide of villagers walking in village
9. Wide of group of villagers with US soldier
10. Mid of US soldier showing his camera to children
11. SOUNDBITE: (English) Lt. Col. David Flynn:
"There is cautious optimism I think on the part of the local population. They will tell you if we continue to patrol 24 hours a day like we do right now, they don't believe the Taliban can come back in, so time will tell. If the Taliban decides to come back and do some harassment fire we'll just see the resiliency of the people, we are certainly going to stay here."
12. Pan of newly built mosque, rebuilt after it was destroyed in the US operation
13. Close minaret of mosque
14. Various of villagers attending the opening ceremony of mosque
15. SOUNDBITE: (Pashto) Haji Hayatullah Khan, resident of Tarok Kolache Village, whose house was destroyed in the US military operation:
"This mosque which was destroyed we are going to inaugurate after its rebuilding. The houses are left which we have been promised for their reconstruction."
16. Various of Toryalai Wesa, Kandahar Provincial Governor, inaugurating the mosque
17. Various inside the mosque
18. SOUNDBITE: (English) Toryalai Wesa, Kandahar Provincial Governor:
"The partnership among the Afghans and the coalition is great, it is very exemplary. You can see here in the village in their uniform and the locals here in their national dress, they are working shoulder to shoulder and they are talking to each other. There are Shoras (meetings), they raise their needs to coalition and those voices are heard."
19. Various of armed Afghan National Army soldier
LEADIN:
Kandahar Province in the south of Afghanistan is a stronghold of the Taliban and one of the most dangerous locations for coalition forces.
In one military operation last year the US controversially called in air strikes to destroy a village in the region known to be a Taliban hideout.
Now, reconstruction is underway to win back the hearts and minds of villagers who lost their homes.
STORYLINE:
A helicopter ride over Arghandab River Valley in Kandahar is the best way to survey this fertile terrain.
The land supports extensive cultivation - in particular pomegranate orchards - but historically it has also provided support and cover for the Taliban.
In a major offensive here to regain control of the valley last October (2010) the commander of Combined Joint Task Force 1-320th called in air strikes to level the booby-trapped village of Tarok Kolache.
It was a last resort after spending 100 days fighting on the ground in an area littered with bombs.
It is costing half a million US dollars to rebuild the village mosque and 14 homes that were destroyed last October.
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