‘Surprising’ Poll in Afghanistan
Not a Surprise at All
October 24th, 2007
Canada’s public broadcaster, CBC-Television, admitted
its own surprise earlier this month when its own scientific
poll demonstrated that 60% of Afghans fully support the
presence of foreign troops in their country, while only
16% oppose the UN-sanctioned, NATO-led military efforts
in Afghanistan.
Perhaps CBC-TV staff should have conducted that poll
long ago. They could have saved themselves the ‘surprise’
– and the awkwardness – at somehow not knowing
what the vast majority of reporters and Canadians who
have visited Afghanistan, including myself, already knew.
Average Afghans view Canadian troops as a comforting sign
of security and hope for future peace and prosperity.
As for Canadians, the only way they would have been surprised
by the poll’s results was if they had depended exclusively
upon the CBC for their news fix.
The CBC/Environics poll, which interviewed 1,600 Afghan
men and women, also found that more than 70% of Afghans
hold a positive view of their government, led by President
Hamid Karzai. That’s a popularity rating leaders
in most countries can only dream about!
Meanwhile, 73% of Afghans have a negative opinion of
the Taliban and used words like, “I hate them”
and “They are demons” to describe Taliban
insurgents.
Again, nothing surprising there given that so many innocent
civilians, including children, have been killed as a result
of the Taliban’s efforts to destroy schools, roads,
bridges, power plants, hospitals and other essential infrastructure
needs the Afghan people are desperately trying to establish.
It’s reassuring to know the Afghan people value
the ongoing sacrifices and efforts of Canadian troops
and their families. Yet it’s especially heartening
that progress in Afghanistan means its citizens are now
able to freely take part in a democratic process like
polling.
Nevertheless, Canada’s role in Afghanistan must
be decided by Canadians here at home. That’s why
Prime Minister Stephen Harper created an Independent Panel
on Canada’s Future Role in Afghanistan. The panel
is comprised of Canadians with extensive experience and
expertise in foreign affairs and international relations.
It will be chaired by former Liberal Deputy Prime Minister
John Manley. He’ll be joined by Derek Burney, former
Canadian Ambassador to the United States; Pamela Wallin,
former Canadian Consul General in New York City; Paul
Tellier, a Montreal business executive and former Clerk
of the Privy Council of Canada; and Jake Epp, former federal
cabinet minister and current chair of Health Partners
International, a non-profit organization which provides
medical aid to Afghanistan.
The panel will examine, but is not limited to, the following
four options:
1. Continue training the Afghan army and police so Canada
can begin withdrawing its forces in February 2009;
2. Focus on reconstruction and have forces from another
country take over security in Kandahar;
3. Shift Canadian security and reconstruction effort to
another region in Afghanistan;
4. Withdraw all Canadian military except a minimal force
to protect aid workers and diplomats.
The panel will report by the end of January 2008 and
their impartial advice will help Canadians and parliamentarians
choose the right course for Canada in Afghanistan.
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