People of Afghanistan being more optimistic.

[Ahmad]

Some 70 per cent of Afghans think their country is “going in the right direction”, compared with 40 per cent a year earlier – the highest figure since 2005, according to the survey for the BBC, ABC news and ARD of Germany.

Of those polled, 68 per cent support the presence of US troops in the country and slightly fewer – 62 per cent – support the presence of British and other troops.

Despite claims to represent the Afghan people, the Taleban won little support: 69 per cent of Afghans said they presented the greatest danger to the country’s future.

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The foreign secretary, David Miliband, said that the findings were “striking and significant”.

“The Afghan people don’t want to go back to Taleban misrule. This is a war of the mind as much as a war for ground. The important thing now is that we take advantage of the sense of optimism.”

However, 43 per cent of Afghans said they would prefer the country to be run as an Islamic state while 32 per cent favour continuing down the path of democracy.

Support has revived for President Hamid Karzai, with 72 per cent believing he is doing a good or excellent job, even though only 39 per cent believe his re-election last year was conducted honestly and 59 per cent think the vote counting was fraudulent.

The rise in optimism appeared linked with improvements in living conditions: 55 per cent of Afghans say they have an electricity supply, more than double the 19 per cent who did in 2009.

Some 41 per cent believe their job prospects are good or very good, and 59 per cent own a mobile phone.

However, the picture was gloomier in Helmand province, the Taleban stronghold where British troops are based. Only half of Helmand residents said they thought the country was going in the right direction and one in three believe the Taleban will defeat the government, against one in ten in the country as a whole.

Corruption was cited as a major problem by 76 per cent of respondents, and support for the US and the government dropped sharply in the Taleban-dominated south and east.

The results follow the bloodiest year for Nato forces in Afghanistan since the 2001 US-led invasion. More casualties are expected as western troop numbers increase in preparation for a planned surge against the Taleban.

The Afghan Centre for Socio-Economic and Opinion Research spoke to 1,534 Afghans in all 34 provinces in December for the poll, which has been carried out every year since 2005 apart from 2008.


But the survey also uncovered serious concerns about corruption within the government and police, with 95% of those questioned saying it was a problem in their area and 44% saying things were worse than a year ago. Only 39% believed last year's election was conducted honestly and 59% thought the counting of votes was fraudulent. The Taliban remain very unpopular: 69% of Afghans think they pose the greatest danger to the country's future.

Support for Nato troops is up slightly from 59% in 2009 to 62% now, according to the BBC poll of more than 1,500 Afghans. Only 8% of those polled thought attacks on foreign troops could be justified, compared with 25% last year.

 

[BATMAN]

Does this counts Jamila Lalis opinion?

 

[Ahmad]

Nobody saying that the last general election was not fraudant. All the fraud happend in places that the Taliban were active. In north, West, most of east, central parts and capital there wasnt any fraud or the level of fraud so small and negligible. Secondly, how many general elections or local elections did the Taliban allow in Afghanistan? Evenif it was fraudant? they simply knew one thing and that was weapons! by the way, this finding has got nothing to do with fraud in general election.

 

[BATMAN]

And today, all pashtuns are dead and kabul represent 70% of afghanis?
What is fair in afghanistan?
award of contracts to inida? or award of jobs to northern alliance warlords? where are the real people of land? or the drug smuggling to Russia and adjoining european states?

 

[illuminatus]

I don't see any hope in Afghanistan. At least, as long as drug war lords are ruling the country there's no future. The Taliban argument is totally irrelevant in this respect. Whether Taliban are there or not doesn't change the fact that Afghanistan is based on a tribal society. There are fundamental flaws in the Afghan society which have to be addressed before any substantial progress can be achieved. The Americans have already decided to set a withdrawal date which suggests that even they realize the end result. NATO countries are very reluctant to provide any more troops in this war. As long as Afghan's themselves don't decide that enough is enough there is very little optimism.

 

[Ahmad]

And today, all pashtuns are dead and kabul represent 70% of afghanis?
What is fair in afghanistan?
award of contracts to inida? or award of jobs to northern alliance warlords? where are the real people of land? or the drug smuggling to Russia and adjoining european states?

Pakistanis are always happy to have the ethnic tensions high in Afghanistan to take advantage of it. Who says all the pashtoons are dead? death and destruction has been part of all Afghans' lives no matter who they are for the last 3 decades. And where were you that pakistani supported taliban killed and masacared other ethnic groups in thousands and thousands everyr month? and where were you guys that during the taliban time every single higher post was occupied by the pashtoons? right now pashtoons have got more ministers and other high posts in the gov compare to the other ethnic groups. let me tell you one more thing, the pashtoons in afghanistan are way hostile to pakistan compare to other ethnic groups.

the last thing, i thought you guys as muslims might be happy to see despite all the miseries, people of afghanistan think positively for the future, but i see the opposite.

 

[Ahmad]

I don't see any hope in Afghanistan. At least, as long as drug war lords are ruling the country there's no future. The Taliban argument is totally irrelevant in this respect. Whether Taliban are there or not doesn't change the fact that Afghanistan is based on a tribal society. There are fundamental flaws in the Afghan society which have to be addressed before any substantial progress can be achieved. The Americans have already decided to set a withdrawal date which suggests that even they realize the end result. NATO countries are very reluctant to provide any more troops in this war. As long as Afghan's themselves don't decide that enough is enough there is very little optimism.

i can agree with a few points of your post. but this thread is about how people see their future and what they think.

 

[S-2]

Thanks Unity. I've made great use of last year's poll. Here's the actual poll from this year with the attendant questionaire-

Afghanistan Poll 2010-ABC/BBC/ARD

Question #17 this year relates to Question #18 last year. Once again, the afghan taliban pulled the lowest numbers of all, even worse than foreign irhabists, when asked if a particular group was strongly favored, somewhat favored, somewhat opposed, or strongly opposed.

Thanks.

 

[Ahmad]

Thanks Unity. I've made great use of last year's poll. Here's the actual poll from this year with the attendant questionaire-

Afghanistan Poll 2010-ABC/BBC/ARD

Question #17 this year relates to Question #18 last year. Once again, the afghan taliban pulled the lowest numbers of all, even worse than foreign irhabists, when asked if a particular group was strongly favored, somewhat favored, somewhat opposed, or strongly opposed.

Thanks.

Thanks, that was much detailed one.