While they stay away from the Jolan neighborhood where the fiercest fighting took place over the past weeks, marines are meeting with residents and community leaders to offer compensation for battle damage and to seek goodwill.

They already have settled dozens of smaller claims -- for cows killed in the crossfire, buildings damaged by gunfire or power lines downed in firefights.

In one case this week, villagers just outside the Jolan district were surprised to see troops show up with food, water and cash just hours after they complained US vehicles broke their main water pipe.

Marine lawyer Captain Kevin Coughlin offered an elder of the village 400 dollars to repair the damage.

"Hopefully, with the money, you can make pipes better, not just a quick fix, but permanently better, so the children can have a better life," the marine in full combat gear told Abbas Aswad, clad in a traditional Arab robe.

Aswad thanked the American profusely, pointed to the nearby US marine position where the pipe was damaged, then to the rest of the village, where about 100 people eke out a living amid the desert dust, and said 400 dollars was not enough.

Other villagers agreed, and Coughlin offered 600 dollars, and eventually, after that was turned down, agreed to 800.

He later said he hoped the swift deal would help ensure villagers are not mad at the US troops camped just across their fields.

He compared such payments to the "blood money" system still used in the Muslim world, under which relatives can demand compensation payment from the killer of their kin.

"Because of their culture, compensation payments take away their ability to be mad at you," said Coughlin.

The marine lawyer traveled with a convoy of a dozen marines and four members of the US-trained paramilitary Iraqi Civil Defense Force, as well as a translator.

The troops also handed out military rations, packed in cartons stating the contents were "Halal", or permissible under Islamic law.

"By us being out here, we have caused some discomfort, we would like to give you food and water," said Captain Jeff Stevenson, who commands the marine unit.

But one group of men turned down the offer of food. "We don't need it," said Mohammed Naif, whose comparatively new SUV suggested he was a man of some wealth.

The Iraqis did, however, ask that the marines open the nearby road to Jolan, one of the positions still sealed off by the US troops who besieged Fallujah for almost one month.

Stevenson suggested they take a road that is further away but was reopened Wednesday, but the men said it was too far and pointed to their legs they said were weak.

The marines have gradually pulled back to positions further away from Fallujah in recent days, as the fighting died down and Iraqi troops started patroling the city.

It was not clear when they would leave their last toehold in the city, but they have made it clear they intend to return eventually to help in reconstruction, with 77 million dollars promised for the flashpoint city.

Coughlin is confident the US-led coalition eventually will win the battle for Fallujah.

"The hearts and minds campaign can be won, depending on how we deal with people in the community," he said as a convoy of military vehicles raced across a bone-dry field, raising a storm of dust over the small village.

All rights reserved. Copyright 2003 Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.

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