TALL AFAR AIRBASE, Iraq - The world's mightiest military force had little trouble asserting itself in Iraq but when it comes to winning over the people of this proud Arab nation, it needs a little help from its friends.

　　A 14-man contingent from the British Army's Operational Training and Advisory /group/ (OPTAG) has spent the last five weeks in Iraq teaching more than 500 US troops how to conduct patrols, search homes and deal with the locals in a way that does not raise their ire - and hopefully minimizes US casualties.

　　"Nobody quite expected the problems the Americans are dealing with," said Chief Instructor Lieutenant-Colonel Angus Loudon, who has served seven tours of duty in Northern Ireland and many more in Kosovo, Afghanistan and other trouble spots.

　　"So we're here to talk to them about the best practice techniques that seem to have worked for the British army in post-conflict situations for the past 35 years," he said at their last stop - the northern Tall Afar base which was taken over by the US 101st Armoured Airborne division.

　　OPTAG returns home at the end of July.

　　The workshops, called "Counter-terrorism Training" by the US military, were commissioned by the Pentagon in May, shortly after US President George W. Bush declared the end of major combat in Iraq.

　　Since then, US troops have faced stiff resistance and 50 have been killed in daily incidents. The British have, however, remained largely unscathed with just one fatal attack during the same period.

　　The British force is about a tenth the size and concentrated in the staunchly anti-Saddam south of the country.

　　Military strategists believe that the Americans' approach to post-war Iraq has antagonised the population.

　　Iraqis complain bitterly about the way US soldiers storm their houses, terrifying their children, and then leave a few dollar bills to cover the cost of the damage they cause.

　　In an incident in the northern city of Mosul, witnessed by a correspondent, an American soldier pointed his rifle at a resident and shouted "Get back you motherfucker!" as the man tried to explain that all he wanted to do was to take the sack of flour in his hand to the bakery to make bread.

　　The human rights /group/ Amnesty International has also condemned the behaviour of the US forces in Iraq.

　　"The Americans still think they are at war and deal with the people like they are the enemy," said one military expert.

　　"But post-conflict situations require a completely different set of skills they don't seem to possess. They seem to find it easier to break down the door rather than try the handle. But you don't really have to piss off the population."

　　Hearts and minds

　　Britain's long colonial history may have helped its army win the battle for Iraqi hearts and minds. The British may have pioneered aerial chemical warfare against the Iraqis after World War I, but long experience of trying to avoid being attacked by disgruntled local populations shows itself in variety of ways.

　　In Basra, British soldiers play soccer with Iraqis and the day-to-day administration of this southern Shi'ite Muslim city is left to a tribal chieftain respected by the locals.

　　"The British are more civilised," said one Iraqi man when asked to compare the behaviour of the two biggest Western allies administering his country. "They know how to deal with people. The Americans treat us like dogs."

　　OPTAG Staff Sergeant Dean Davidson said part of their training involves making the Americans aware of the "soft option" when dealing with the public, such as knocking on a door before opening it. "We teach them to combine friendliness with thoroughness," he explained.

　　Apart from teaching the Americans to become more approachable, OPTAG's training also focuses on how to avoid becoming a target - by altering vehicle movement patterns and using decoys for example - rather than resorting to brute force to quash potentially lethal attacks.

　　"We hope to bring about an attitude change," Loudon said. "The American army has shared with us best practice techniques in conventional warfare for years and we are returning the favour."

　　At Tall Afar, OPTAG conducted its three-day course in a concrete bunker. Slides imparting vital skills were interspersed with cartoons poking fun at Iraq's military capabilities, and rapid fire questions prevented the students from dozing off in the dimly-lit, air-conditioned room.

　　Some US soldiers shrugged indifferently when asked if they had learned anything new from OPTAG, and some military experts said they were afraid the top US brass were discouraging their men from putting a human face on the occupation.

　　But other Marines, like First-Lieutenant Michelle Carron, from North Carolina, said the training would certainly help her on-the-field intelligence work.

　　"Because I am a woman, the Iraqis are a bit sensitive when I go out and talk to them but these guys have shown us that it really helps to be a bit more friendly. Maybe this way I can get out alive," she said half-jokingly.