The Australians face an unseen enemy who emerges at night to lay hidden roadside bombs then melts back into the villages. "The enemy around here don't wear a uniform like we do - so it could be anyone, any kid, any person," observes a private.

They must vie for the support of a civilian population that is brutalised and cynical with the Taliban who claim that it is the real protector of the people.

We find out how the Australians are handling these challenges in their $200 million mission by visiting their forward operating base at Tirin Kot in southern Uruzgan province.

While combat forces hunt Taliban, others in the Australian contingent set out to win over the people. Their weapons are bricks and mortar and tradies' skills - an Afghan-style Backyard Blitz. Victories are measured less by enemy casualties than by small advances like fixing a school or a hospital.

This is an ambitious project which some suggest might take as long as 20 years, but the price of failure is a collapsed state and an even safer haven for al Qaeda to export its terror.

00.02.51 Helicopter flying into sunset over desert

00.02.56 Barbed wire outside military building

00.03.04 Tank driving in dirt enclosure, surrounded by boxes

00.03.30 Soldiers walking through Afghanistan in front of tanks, sitting and keeping patrol, etc

00.03.43 Afghan women in distance with mules

00.03.52 Afghan man walking through desert with staff

00.04.15 Afghan men sitting on blankets while soldiers (US or Australian) walk through their home

00.04.29 Soldier patting down Afghan man for weapons

00.04.52 Soldiers running through combat zone, explosions in the distance

00.05.02 President of Afghanistan speaks

00.05.17 Young Afghan men rebelling (footage not cleared)

00.05.35 Soldier drives by in tank, gives thumbs up to camera

00.06.47 Helicopter gunships flying over Afghan mountains

00.07.10 Aerial of small Afghan town

00.07.37 Supersonic jet flies overhead

00.07.42 Black and white footage of missile exploding

00.07.53 Afghan rebels running through mountains with guns (footage not cleared)

00.08.07 Afghan president thanking USA for bringing peace to his people (footage not cleared)

00.08.19 Afghan rebels raising guns to crowds

00.09.30 Military helicopter flying towards sunset

00.11.55 Soldiers playing volleyball on FOB (forward operating base)

00.12.40 Soldiers riding through Afghanistan in armoured vehicles, night vision camera
00.13.55 Taliban soldiers (presumably) hiding out behind boulders, with guns

00.17.15 Afghan child in hospital bed

00.17.40 Dutch doctor in Afghanistan field hospital

00.19.0 Australian soldiers discussing IEDs, showing the parts, including saw blade, battery pack,

00.20.10 Soldiers walking through town to check on hospital

00.20.41 Afghani natives sit and watch soldiers, looking despondent

00.22.55 Afghani woman with baby watches soldier help to build building

00.23.50 Afghani man cooking

00.24.15 Afghani child receiving a checkup, other injured children

00.25.30 Afghani children greeting camera from school

00.27.37 Locals doing construction work

00.28.15 Afghani children being taught carpentry from soldiers, natives

00.31.55 Construction work in Afghanistan

00.33.27 Australian/Dutch soldiers conducting shura meeting with local Afghani leaders

00.36.0 More uncleared protest footage

00.36.30 Uncleared speech from Afghan president

00.37.50 Moving footage, POV of truck going through Afghan village

00.44.0 Children in class

00.45.03 Helicopter over Afghanistan

00.45.25 Tents, shacks by side of road

00.45.38 Tank by side of road

00.46.48 Armoured vehicles driving up hill, modern looking Afghan town

00.47.0 Sniper in corner of building