KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — It may be one of Canada's best bangs for its counter-insurgency buck -- a program that compensates Afghans for damage caused by Canadian soldiers.

While generally modest, the payments are a way to reassure Afghans that Canadian forces are there to help.

Lt.-Cmdr. Mike McCarthy says the program is effective in countering the insurgent message that Canadian troops are there to destroy.

Most claims are for crop damage when Canadian military vehicles are forced off-road by the threat of improvised explosive devices.

Other claims are for damage to walls and compounds, vehicles, or even personal injuries.

Payments generally run from a few hundred, to a few thousand dollars.