Asia Foundation 2006 Survey Available

Today the Asia Foundation released their 2006 survey, the largest and most-comprehensive poll in Afghanistan's history. Check out the .pdf here.

We will dig into the data in coming posts, but here are some preliminary findings to note:

• Afghans are still optimistic, with 44 % saying the country is headed in the right direction vs. 21 who believe it's headed in the wrong direction. These numbers, however, are much lower than the Foundation's 2004 survey, which found 64% positive about the country's direction.
• In a development that may come as a surprise to security-conscious Western observers, "lack of security was not the most decisive factor for shaping the opinion of those who felt the country was not moving in the right direction. Rather, the bad economy, lack of reconstruction, poor government performance, and unemployment were cited as the reasons for their pessimism." This is a reminder that security concerns are region-specific, and in many places security is seen as a reason the country is moving in the right direction.
• An remarkably strong majority said they trusted the Afghan National Army (87%) and the Afghan National Police (86%)--which made them the most trusted institutions, outpolling predictable scapegoats such as militias, parties, and the justice system, but also NGOs (57%)