The Feeling From Afghanistan

Gary Langer, Director of Polling at ABC News, presented his findings on the public opinion trends inside of Afghanistan at a public forum today at CSIS, coincidentally just a few hours after a rare Taliban suicide attack killed 20 people inside of Kabul.  In an unconfirmed report, a Taliban leader called ABC following the attack to tell them that the militant Islamist organization had 20 more suicide attackers inside the city waiting to strike, using the quintessential scare tactic employed by terrorism.

 As the Taliban regains a foothold in the country using tactics such as these and coalition forces search for a new strategy, the latest ABC poll shows drastic declines for American support over the past few years - dropping from a nationwide high of 82 percent approval in 2005 to a meager 47 percent approval rating today. 

In other poll statistics, possible US troops increases in Afghanistan is unpopular among the population weary from the effects of war.  However, support remains strong for the central government of President Hamid Karzai, while Taliban support lingers in the single digits.  What’s important, as Langer noted, is that while public polling should definitely be considered during strategy development, it should not be a deciding factor as support for American troops always increases in places that American forces are perceived to be winning.

 Check out the full report here:  “Public Opinion Trends in Afghanistan.”

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