AP Features, April 7th, 2007
While U.S. and NATO forces prepare to fight a resurgent enemy in Afghanistan, a different campaign is being waged to gain the trust of the nation's war-ravaged people.
"Afghanistan: The Other War," airing 9 p.m. Tuesday (check local listings) as part of PBS' "Frontline/World," details the West's effort to undercut its adversaries without violence. Sam Kiley is the correspondent.
"In Afghanistan, you have to reassure the people who have been through 28 years of fighting that you can beat ... the Taliban," Gen. David Richards, supreme commander of foreign forces in Afghanistan, told "Frontline." "Do you think we came here to kill anybody? The answer is no."
Instead, the goal is to create a secure setting in which "reconstruction and development and good governance can take place and begin to flourish," Richards said.
The program looks at Camp Martello, a military outpost in southern Afghanistan. It's the base for a unit of Canadian soldiers trying to bring clean water, electricity and medicine to the village of Al Baq, which had been a longtime Taliban stronghold.
The Afghanis are uneasy about cooperating because of fear of Taliban reprisals, according to the report, while the Canadian soldiers worry about whether some of the people they're aiding may once have been Taliban fighters.
Meanwhile, the specter of increased violence hovers.
Fighting in Afghanistan the past year was the bloodiest since the U.S.-led war started in 2001 and toppled the Taliban regime. Commanders anticipate a renewed offensive this spring by Taliban fighters trying to stage a comeback and topple the elected government in Kabul.
In February, the Pentagon announced that about 3,000 soldiers scheduled to go to Iraq would be sent to Afghanistan instead, putting the U.S. presence there at 27,000, the highest of the war, with 15,000 serving as part of the 35,00-strong NATO-led force.
Other shows this week to look out for:
_ It's been 30 years since viewers were transfixed by the miniseries "Roots," which followed a family from 18th-century enslavement in Africa to 19th-century emancipation in America. TV One is marking the anniversary by airing the drama in six parts, beginning 8 p.m. EDT Sunday, with stars LeVar Burton, Louis Gossett Jr., Richard Roundtree, Leslie Uggams and Ben Vereen serving as hosts. The actors, along with the Rev. Al Sharpton, Quincy Jones and other prominent black Americans, are featured in vignettes detailing the program's impact. "Roots" was based on Alex Haley's novel, a Pulitzer Prize winner that mixed family accounts of his ancestors' heritage and experiences with fiction. An anniversary edition will be released on DVD in May.
_ Vince (Adrian Grenier) and his "Entourage" are back for more Hollywood adventures in the eight-episode second half of the HBO series' third season. In the 10 p.m. EDT Sunday debut, Vince is under pressure from new agent Amanda (Carla Gugino) to take a part in a highbrow film, an Edith Wharton project that's a far cry from Vince's hit "Aquaman." Meanwhile, Vince's buddies are planning his birthday party and going seriously overboard and over budget. Ex-agent Ari (Jeremy Piven) can't let go of the past and hovers over Vince's career. Happiness (read: fame, money and sex) remains the goal for Vince and the boys, and the show is still a kick to watch. Kevin Dillon, Kevin Connolly and Jerry Ferrara co-star.
_ Comedians and actors attempt the daring art of improv in "Thank God You're Here," debuting 9 p.m. EDT Monday on NBC. Based on an Australian hit, the series gives performers costumes and sets but no script _ they're on their own in front of a live audience. There's one constant, and it explains the title: Each time a new performer walks into a skit, he's greeted with the line, "Thank God you're here!" David Alan Grier ("In Living Color") is the host and Dave Foley ("NewsRadio") is presiding judge. The first episode features Jennifer Coolidge, Bryan Cranston, Joel McHale and Wayne Knight, with future bravehearts including Fred Willard, Fran Drescher, George Takei and Paul Rodriguez.
_ The frustrations and complexities of weight loss are examined in "Fat: What No One is Telling You," a 90-minute special airing 9 p.m. Wednesday on PBS (check local listings) and narrated by Meredith Vieira. A growing number of overweight and obese Americans are finding out that even the most determined effort to lose pounds can fail. That, according to the program, is a result of the biological and environmental factors that make it easier to put on weight than get rid of it. Following the program is "Take One Step for Your Family's Health," hosted by NBC News medical editor Dr. Nancy Snyderman. Pioneering researchers, community activists and public health leaders discuss what can be done by individuals, families and communities to overcome obesity, and how public policy can reduce the problem among children.
___
EDITOR'S NOTE _ Lynn Elber is a national television columnist for The Associated Press. She can be reached at lelber(at)ap.org
