As the Obama administration completes its strategic review, it’s no secret that some Democrats in Congress and the Administration are suddenly growing nervous about actually committing resources to, what not so long ago, they insisted was “the war we must win.” One of the favorite talking points of the minimalists is the famed hostility of Afghans to foreign occupiers. Afghanistan, you may have heard, is a “graveyard of empires,” full of fierce and proud people who will react violently to a “heavy footprint” of foreign forces. It’s a great talking point. Alas, it’s also not true. In addition to the fact, as Max Boot, Fred Kagan, and Kim Kagan recently pointed out, that the insurgents do not enjoy the support of the Afghan population — a BBC-ABC News poll last month showed only 4 percent desired Taliban rule – a raft of polling likewise reveals that the Afghans do support our military presence there, and want us, if anything, to be doing more. According to the latest poll conducted by a consortium of humanitarian agencies including Save the Children, Care International and ActionAid – hardly unabashed boosters of American militarism – “86% of those questioned around the country had a generally positive view of [foreign forces] – but a similarly large majority would like to see those same forces, and the Afghan army they support, doing more, with more frequent patrols.”
