A recent survey of over 5,000 Afghans has concluded that more individuals favor than oppose the total removal of both US and NATO troops from the country after a peace agreement is reached concerning the structure of post-war Afghanistan.
The American Institute of War and Peace Studies polled 5,038 Afghans in 34 provinces and found that approximately 46% of those surveyed were in support of US and NATO troops exiting Afghanistan once a deal is agreed upon, while only 33% would prefer the troops to remain.
According to the Associated Press, 61% of participants responded to the poll online, and the other 39% answered the questions in person. Of those surveyed, 3,274 were identified as men and 1,764 were listed as women.
The survey, which was conducted from November 23 to December 20 and has a 5% margin of error, also revealed that 80% of respondents believed a political solution was the only way to bring a conclusion to conflict in the area. The remaining 20% believed a military solution was possible.
As for the individuals brokering the deal, 41% of respondents favored the appointment of US Special Representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad as chief negotiator, and 39% opposed the decision. The other 20% polled said they had no opinion either way on the matter.
“The majority of Afghans surveyed said they feared their homeland would descend into civil war if America pulls out its troops without first getting a peace deal,” reported the Associated Press.
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