Kabul, May 04: A survey reveals 61 percent of Afghans feel more negative about NATO forces after Operation Moshtarak, than they did before the February operation began in southern Afghanistan.
Additionally, 67 percent of Afghan respondents believe that NATO has little chance of winning the war against the Taliban, while 14 percent believe that NATO would “never” win.
The International Council on Security and Development (ICOS) cited in its 2010 report called “Operation Moshtarak — Lessons Learned,” the lack of political measures and refugee support alongside the military operations for the discontent.
The report also said that 97 percent believe more young Afghans have joined Taliban during the previous year. Another 45 percent have also expressed anger at the NATO occupation, civilian deaths and nightly raids.
Sixty-eight percent of the Afghan respondents expressed belief that the Taliban will return to Marjah.
The institute indicated that the international forces have made many mistakes.
NATO forces launched the operation in February 2010 in Helmand Province — the first deployment after the beginning of the much-debated surge of additional 30,000 US troops.
It was billed as the largest military operation since the invasion of 2001.
——-Agencies