NATO not winning Afghan hearts and minds: poll

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http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE66F4Q820100716

By Adrian Croft

LONDON | Fri Jul 16, 2010 3:00pm EDT

LONDON (Reuters) - NATO is failing to win hearts and minds in Afghanistan, according to a poll released on Friday showing most people in Taliban heartlands view foreign troops negatively and believe the Taliban should join the government.

However, 55 percent of Afghans surveyed by the International Council on Security and Development (ICOS) thinktank believed NATO and the Afghan government were winning the war against Taliban insurgents.

The poll of Afghans in the two areas found:

-- 75 percent believe foreigners disrespect their religion and traditions

-- 74 percent believe working with foreign forces is wrong

-- 68 percent believe NATO forces do not protect them

-- 65 percent believe the Taliban and its leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, should join the Afghan government.

Seventy percent said recent military actions in their area were bad for the Afghan people and 59 percent opposed a new military offensive being built up by NATO forces in Kandahar.

[truedelphi]

1. The Afghan people are voting with their feet.

BBC this week had an entire piece about how many, many people in Afghanistan are packing up and attempting to get to a sea port and from there by boat to East Timor, and from there to Australia.

Australian officials, realizing that the good ol' USA is in Afghanistan for the long haul, are now pushing to tighten their immigration laws.

It really sucks to be a third world person who happens to be living on mineral-enriched real estate.