Brutal reality of battle for hearts and minds  Troops under
sniper fire in Iraq Troops under sniper fire in Iraq.
Photograph: Peter Beaumont In Baqoubah, in the Iraqi province of
Diyala, unpleasant questions get answered very quickly. There is
a startling pop, and then: 'Who fired that shot? Did you fire
that shot?'  One of the American soldiers of Bravo Company of
the 1/12 Cavalry is shouting at the accompanying Iraqi army
troops, hoping against hope, it appears, that a weapon has been
accidentally discharged. We are standing in a narrow dirt street
lined with single-storey houses. In places sewage has pooled in
oily green puddles on the road's surface and there is a nasty
smell.  The tense soldiers had been advancing in a column down
the street, hugging the walls on either side, while the Iraqi
troops tried to engage householders in conversation, handing out
'tip-off' cards with numbers to call anonymously with
information on suspected terrorists and asking for the home of
the mayor of Burhiz. The welcome i