Afghans Losing Patience [View All]

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Second Lt. Jonathan Rezendes of Mass., right, from First Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division patrol listen to a gesturing Afghan man in West Now Ruzi village in Panjwai, Afghanistan, Sunday, Nov. 21, 2010.


Afghans Losing Patience
DEB RIECHMANN | 11/21/10 12:21 PM | AP

KABUL, Afghanistan — U.S. and NATO forces will stay in Afghanistan for at least another four years, yet there are growing signs that the West has worn out its welcome.

With the war in its 10th year, foreigner fatigue is becoming more apparent among Afghans as the U.S. and its international partners try to shore up support among their own populations for continuing the fight. President Barack Obama and other Western leaders approved plans during a weekend summit in Lisbon, Portugal, for Afghans to move into the lead role in fighting the Taliban and its allies by the end of 2014.

The reasons for Afghan patience running out are numerous. Progress against insurgents is only mixed at best. Tactics like night raids on homes to capture militants fuel resentment in a society with a centuries-long tradition of resistance to foreign domination. In a sign of the ill-will, Afghans often blame coalition troops for killing civilians even though the Taliban and militants kill more.

Moreover, the Western footprint has grown. The buildup of 30,000 U.S. reinforcements this year made the foreign presence even more overt, but underscored Afghan feeling that all the troops and billions in aid haven't substantially improved their daily lives.

"I don't think NATO has done much good," said Siyal Khan Farahi, a 39-year-old contractor in Kandahar in the south, where the Taliban insurgency was born. "They are spending millions of dollars over here but I don't see many signs of prosperity or anything that can change the people's standard of life."