Support for Taliban sinking among Afghans, says Poll
Support for the Taliban among Afghans has steadily declined in recent years and people are feeling a growing sense of insecurity, according to a survey funded in part by the US government.
Support for the Taliban among Afghans has steadily declined in recent years and people are feeling a growing sense of insecurity, according to a survey funded in part by the US government.
The survey released on Wednesday by the San Fran-cisco-based Asia Foundation also found that an overwhelming majority of Afghan adults, 82%, back reconciliation and reintegration efforts with insurgent groups.
It said that the number of people who said they sympathised with the aims of Taliban had dropped to 29% compared to 40% last year and 56% in 2009.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai has been making peace overtures to the Taliban for years with the backing of the international community.
However the survey was conducted in July, nearly two months before the September assassination of former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani, who was leading the government’s effort to broker peace with the Taliban. Although the survey said a majority of Afghans were satisfied with the performance of the government, it did not. address the issue of whether they were satisfied with the country’s leadership or its president.