by Jay Deshmukh
NAJAF, Iraq, Aug 17 (AFP) - Hundreds of Iraqis swarm into a youth centre where dozens of US soldiers distribute medicine and water in an aid offensive to encourage Shiite Muslim militiamen to lay down their weapons and talk peace.
From 9:30 am (0530 GMT), three US tanks and an equal number of trucks and Humvees are stationed outside the centre in the Judeda neighbourhood of the holy city of Najaf, offering medicine and mineral water to Iraqis.
"I've been here since early morning as the Americans announced in our neighbourhood that they were going to distribute medicines and water," says 19-year-old Abeer Kadhim, who is unemployed.
"They are doing good work and we would like help like this in our town."
Wearing a long white shirt and dark trousers, the bearded Kadhim is one of hundreds, young and old, men, women and children, who swelter in the hot sun, pushing their way into the centre after first being searched.
Children surround a US truck loaded with water bottles, medicine and food, standing in turn to collect their booty.
Inside the building, a makeshift camp is divided into one for men and one for women, where dozens were queuing to be checked by US military doctors.
"I cannot sleep at night," says a elderly Iraqi woman enveloped in a traditional black abaya despite the overpowering heat.
"I am tired of these constant gunshots and bombs. I want peace in my city. These Americans are doing a good job by giving us medicines and there should be peace now," she said, refusing to give her name out of fear of the Mehdi Army.
Her six-year-old daughter Wafa plays happily with a solider.
Overlooking the entire operation is Major Scott Jackson, deputy commander of a US battalion based in Najaf.
Accustomed to nearly two weeks of fighting against the militia of radical Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr, Jackson insists the US military wants to rebuild, not destroy the city.
"We want to give a message to the people of Najaf... We are not here to fight. We are here to help build Iraq," he tells AFP.
Happy to organise more centres like this, Jackson says security is the biggest obstruction to reconstruction projects in the town.
"But it is improving every day. We are seeing less fighting now. The Iraqis know we would not do anything that would disrespect their sentiments," he says.
An elderly Iraqi man consults medical officer Captain Kevin Burnham desperate for quick relief for his severe stomach ulcer.
"A lot of people here suffer from stomach-related diseases and lack of sleep," Burnham says. "The main reason being lack of good, clean water."
Security permitting, more centres like this could be organised. As it is, frequent gunfire rattles through Najaf for most of the morning.
After nearly three hours, supplies are down and Jackson and his team tell the waiting Iraqis it was time to go.
"This is tough. They all are waiting outside and my stock for the day is over. I now need to tell them to go back home. All these kids will have to go back. But we will come back," he says, ordering one of his men to do the job.