51% of Afghans feeling good about country's direction: poll

[CBC News]

A new poll of nearly 1,600 Afghans shows the majority feel safer than they did five years ago, and approve of the direction their country is taking, thanks to the presence of international security forces from countries such as Canada.

Warrant Officer Sean Chase of the Provincial Reconstruction Team hands out "Izzy" dolls to 15 children from one family. They came with their father to the Village Medical Outreach at Forward Operating Base Martello.
(Captain Dave Muralt/Department of National Defence) ​

Results from the Environics Research poll, conducted in partnership with the CBC, show 60 per cent of Afghans surveyed believe the presence of foreign troops has been good for their country.
As well, 51 per cent said they feel their country is headed in the right direction, compared to 28 per cent who responded that it's headed in the wrong direction. The remaining interviewees saw no change or didn't know.
Janice Stein is director of the Munk Centre for International Studies at the University of Toronto, another of the poll's sponsors. She sees grounds for optimism in the results.
"I think Afghans are asking for continued assistance," she said. "They are asking for a continued foreign presence in the short term. They are asking for help in order to avoid a return of the Taliban to Afghanistan. These are the fundamental messages that come out of this poll."
Full story
Will this poll affect public opinion in Canada about our Afghanistan role?


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[Tonington]

I doubt this poll will matter much to Canadians. Most seem to be firmly camped on either side.

 

[mrmom2]

So how exactly did they do thid poll ?:-?Its not like the majority of Afghans have telephones or do they?

 

[Tonington]

Pollsters interviewed them in their homes.

 

[JoeSchmoe]

Polls can be flawed at the best of times. If amenities like phones are available it is probably a (relatively) safe place compared to 99% of the country. Hence, a poll that I could not put any faith in whatsoever....

 

[mrmom2]

ooops

 

[mrmom2]

I'm just wondering but were the pollsters Afghans or Westerners.you can bet theres not to many westerners walking around without protection:lol:I got this picture in my head of a pollster showing up with armed gaurds asking Afghans if they feel safe now or not :lol:

 

[Tonington]

The poll was oversaw by Environics, but it was conducted by Afghan Centre for Social and Opinion Research, a Kabul firm.

In telephone polling you'll get what, like 15% respondants, while this interview method got them 85%. This is the way polls used to be conducted, but with telecommunications, it's rare, because it's typically more expensive and time consuming to get a good sample.

 

[Nuggler]

Like they have a great big choice as to which direction their country's going:roll:

And we should give a sh!t.

C'mon Steve, you stooge; bring'em home..dickhead

rotest::cussing::banghead:

 

[triedit]

Finally, a place where Bush's plans garner more than 50% of the popular vote.