ABSTRACT
Per Thornell, an infantry platoon commander in Afghanistan, relates an episode involving his unit’s interpreter. The latter is suspected of cooperating with the enemy in directing fire against the Swedes during a combat mission. Mona Westerlund-Lindberg describes her experiences in leading a group of four women – each with her own field of expertise: gender advisor, military interpreter, doctor and herself a chaplain – to a female shura aimed at strengthening the position of women in a community and at gathering information that may interest the International Security Force that the Swedish contingent belongs to (ISAF). In regard to ties with the Afghans, Martin Liander observes that the “relationship is, of course, based on sharing the same hardships, and they are not always pleasant”. The company commander on the spot is dependent on the local police to control the situation, but just in case has arrayed his troops behind the police officers.
