New Rules for Afghan Troops: Don't Retaliate for Offenses

Blowing your nose and patting a colleague on the head or back are normal for Westerners but offensive in Afghan culture

The booklet is intended to bridge the divide cultural divide between local forces and Nato troops and avoid the misunderstandings that have sometimes ended in violence, the Washington Post reported.

It warns Afghan soldiers that their international allies may blow their noses in public or "show their excitement by patting one another on the back or the behind", both taboos in Afghan culture.