In Afghanistan war, a kinder, gentler night raid?

“Open this gate! We are from the Afghan National Army!”

It was the midnight call that Afghan villagers have learned to dread, though this night raid would turn out less aggressive than usual.

Following a tipoff that a compound housed Taliban bombmakers, night vision-enabled Afghan and American troops stalked the sandy lanes of Kuhak village, part of the lush Arghandab Valley in southern Kandahar Province. Overhead an American surveillance drone hovered, relaying images to a nearby control room of men carrying boxes and scurrying across the courtyard.

Ten minutes passed. The soldiers waited outside the gate.

By the time the residents opened it, the only people inside were a one-legged man, two women, and several children.

The 20 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne’s B Company searched the compound but, lacking a bomb-sniffing dog, their search for explosives was inconclusive. They apologized to the family, handed out some blankets as a gesture of aid, and walked back to their base.

IN PICTURES: Fighting at night

Taming the night raid

New restrictions on night raids handed down in March by Gen. Stanley McChrystal –­ part of a broader strategy to prioritize protecting civilians over killing insurgents ­– are meant to make the surprise searches less invasive, but may also be hampering their effectiveness.

According to the new regulations, Afghan security forces must in the front of every raid, ritually impure animals – such as dogs – are banned, and village elders must be warned “wherever possible.” Soldiers can only barge into compounds after exhausting other options and have proof that the inhabitants inside are not cooperating.

US soldiers, however, have complained that Afghan security forces are at best lax and often brutal; dogs are essential in sniffing out explosives; and village elders sometimes end up tipping off the Taliban. This gives insurgent fighters a head start to mask their bombmaking activities or blend into the population.

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