Majority of Afghans Want Foreign Troops to Stay and Fight
ALAN FREEMAN
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20071019.AFGHANPOLL18/TPStory/TPInternational/Asia/A strong majority of Afghans approve of the presence of NATO-led troops in their country, including from Canada, and want the foreign soldiers to remain to fight the Taliban and support reconstruction efforts.
In a poll of Afghans conducted by Environics Research on behalf of The Globe and Mail, the CBC and La Presse, respondents expressed optimism about the future, strong support for the government of President Hamid Karzai and appreciation for the work being done by NATO countries in improving security.
In Kandahar, where the Taliban is stronger and violence more pervasive, support for the foreign troops was weaker, but respondents still want the soldiers to stay.
According to the survey, conducted between Sept. 17 and 24 with a sample of 1,578 men and women, 60 per cent said the presence of foreigners in the country was a good thing. Only 16 per cent said it was a bad thing, while 22 per cent said it was equally good and bad.
In Kandahar, where the Canadians are centred, Environics added to the number of respondents and asked a series of special questions. There, 61 per cent said the foreign presence was good while 23 per cent responded that it was a "bad thing."
While a majority of Canadians oppose the military mission in Afghanistan and are anxious to see it end in February of 2009, if not sooner, Afghans are considerably more sanguine about the NATO presence and want it to continue.
Nationally, 64 per cent of respondents said they believe the foreigners have made a lot of progress or some progress in the fight against the Taliban.
In Kandahar, where the insurgency is still raging, 58 per cent still say the foreigners are doing a good job fighting the Taliban.
When asked about the future of the foreign soldiers, only 14 per cent said they should leave right away while 11 per cent said they should leave within a year. Another 27 per cent said the troops should stay between two and five years, but the biggest group by far - 43 per cent - thought the foreign military presence should last "however long it takes to defeat the Taliban and restore order."
In Kandahar, the heart of the Taliban movement, there was less enthusiasm for the foreign presence, with 32 per cent saying the soldiers should leave right away or within a year, but 18 per cent said Canadians and other foreigners should stay for two to five years and 31 per cent for as long as it takes to defeat the Taliban.
The survey pointed to a general sense of optimism in the country with 60 per cent of the national sample and 61 per cent in Kandahar saying they were better off than five years ago.
When it comes to the status of women, 73 per cent of respondents nationally said that the women are better off now than they were in 2002.
"It's the first poll ever done by a Canadian organization [in Afghanistan] and the first one that has asked about the Canadian mission and has focused on Kandahar," said Keith Neuman, group vice-president at Environics.
Defence Minister Peter MacKay told reporters yesterday "it's very positive that the Afghan people feel that way, feel positively towards the presence of Canadians and others from NATO that are there to help them secure their country ... but I think the more telling issue is the fact that they're able to have a poll, that this democratic process exists."
When it comes to Canada's presence in the country, it has a relatively high profile, ranking fourth in public awareness after the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom.
Asked which foreign countries are present in Afghanistan with soldiers, aid workers and businessmen, 95 per cent named the United States, 63 per cent named Germany, 52 per cent Britain and 46 per cent Canada.
But virtually no Afghans are apparently aware that Canadian soldiers are involved in fighting the Taliban. Asked which foreign counties are involved in battling the Taliban, 89 per cent of Afghans mentioned the United States and none mentioned Canada.
Even in Kandahar, 90 per cent said the United States was fighting the Taliban while only 2 per cent identified Canada. On the other hand, 25 per cent of respondents in Kandahar said that Canada was providing reconstruction assistance, compared with 27 per cent who said Britain and 28 per cent who said Germany.
Yet when the question was asked differently, awareness of the Canadian role was higher. When respondents in Kandahar were asked what the main purpose of the Canadian presence was in the province, 47 per cent responded that the main goal was to fight the Taliban, while 16 per cent mentioned reconstruction and 10 per cent answered that Canada was there to support the Karzai government.
Mr. Neuman said that because the United States has by far the most troops in the country, respondents immediately identified U.S. forces as the major fighters against the Taliban, but in Kandahar, awareness of the Canadian presence was high and their role was well-regarded, particularly when it comes to reconstruction work.
Support for the Taliban was surprisingly low, with only 14 per cent of respondents nationally saying they had very positive or somewhat positive views of the Taliban. In Kandahar, those positives rose to 20 per cent.
Respondents were overwhelmingly opposed to suicide bombings, with 71 per cent nationally saying they were never justified.
Despite the enmity toward the Taliban, 74 per cent said they supported negotiations between the Karzai government and Taliban representatives as a way of reducing conflict. In Kandahar, support for talks jumped to 85 per cent.
By the numbers
51
Percentage of Afghans
who think the country
is headed in the "right direction"
73
Percentage who think
women are better off now
than under the Taliban
71
Percentage "very"
or "somewhat" positive
about their government
59
Percentage who believe
President Hamid Karzai
represents their interests
84
Percentage who have "a lot"
or "some" confidence
in the Afghan National Army
76
Percentage who have confidence in the Afghan National Police
60
Percentage who say foreign
presence since the Taliban's fall has been a "good thing"
64
Percentage who say foreign countries are doing a good job fighting the Taliban
65
Percentage who believe
foreign countries are doing
a good job providing
reconstruction assistance
64
Percentage who say the U.S.
is doing a "good job of helping Afghanistan where it needs
it most"
95
Percentage aware
of U.S. presence in the country
46
Percentage aware
of Canadian presence
POLL BREAKDOWN: A closer look at the perspective of those living in the volatile south
In Kandahar province, where the Canadians are centred and where the Taliban is stronger and violence more pervasive, support for foreign troops is weaker, but respondents still want the soldiers to stay
Surveyed in Kandahar: 260
Margin of error: +/-7.7%
Are you aware that Canada currently has troops in Kandahar province?
Don't know 10%
No 29%
Yes 60%
How did you know these are Canadians rather than from some other country?
Maple leaf symbol 4%
Direct experience with Canadian troops/aid workers 8%
Uniforms/equipment 17%
Friends or family members 40%
Local media 27%
Other 2%
DK/NA 2%
What is your overall opinion of the Canadian troops in Kandahar province? Is it:
Very negative 5%
Somewhat negative 14%
Very positive 26%
Somewhat positive 34%
Neither 4%
DK/NA 17%
Why do you have a positive opinion of Canadian troops in Kandahar province?
Helping to remove poppy cultivation 1%
Helping people 3%
Removing Taliban 3%
Training ANA and ANP 6%
Establishing security 40%
Reconstruction of clinics and schools 36%
*DK/NA 10%
Why do you have a negative opinion of Canadian troops in Kandahar?
Killing innocent people 45%
Searching houses without permission 24%
They are infidels 10%
*DK/NA 20%
Do you think that overall, the Canadians are doing a better or worse job than other foreign countries in helping Afghanistan?
DK/NA 17%
Worse job 12%
Canadians doing better job 48%
No difference 22%
From what you know or have heard, what is the main purpose of the Canadians' presence in Kandahar?
Train police 2%
Train army 5%
Support Karzi Govt. 10%
Fight the Taliban/others 47%
Rebuild schools/hospitals, etc. 16%
Other 3%
DK/NA 17%
Have you had any direct experience with Canadians in the past 12 months?
DK/NA 19%
No 67%
Yes 13%
What type of experience was this?
Military passed through village/neighbourhood 40%
Met military/soldiers 9%
Met aid workers 31%
Other 9%
*DK/NA 11%
Would you say this experience with Canadians was:
Very negative 9%
Somewhat negative 26%
Very positive 0%
Somewhat positive 46%
Neither positive/negative 3%
DK/NA 17%
Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding
Surveys conducted Sept. 17-24, 2007
SOURCE: ENVIRONICS