Frontline Afghans Unaware of 9/11, Report Says

Surrendering Taliban militants stand with their weapons as they are presented to the media Nov. 4, 2010, in Herat, Afghanistan.

/ Getty Images

An overwhelming number of Afghan men living in the region that is a major front in the U.S.-led war on the Taliban don't know anything about the terrorist attacks that brought international soldiers to Afghanistan, according to a report from an international policy think tank released Friday.

Special Report: Afghanistan

The International Council on Security and Development said in its report that 92 percent of 1,000 Afghan men surveyed in the intense fighting areas of Helmand and Kandahar provinces were unaware of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, the Reuters news agency reported.

"The lack of awareness of why we are there contributes to the high levels of negativity toward the NATO military operations and made the job of the Taliban easier," Norine MacDonald, the think tank's president, told Reuters. "We need to explain to the Afghan people why we are here and both convince them and show them that their future is better with us than the Taliban."

The report was released during a summit in Portugal of the leaders of NATO-member nations. On Saturday, the leaders are expected to focus on the war in Afghanistan. In July, the organization plans to reduce its troop levels in the country and hand over responsibility for the country's security by 2014.

[robertsatterly]

with all the intelligence in this country we are just figuring this out?

[rationall7]

No matter where we are fighting the terrorist they're are insurgents, basically they come into the fighting ring from across the border when their good and ready to give our troops a pinch on the butt. Not to worry we have purchased new tanks costing $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ to fight the terrorists and we'll get OBL before he dies of natural causes.

[rightbehind]

Not surprising. Very few of those people know what goes goes on in the world. A radio is considered a luxury item there. Most of the people in Guantanamo are probably farmers whose neighbors claim they were the enemy so they could take their land after they were incarcerated. This is not exactly a glorious battle for us. These people have barely made it past the stone age.

[TheBackDoorman]

And Bush, Cheney and his coward generals schock and awe these people. Yes their faith is way different than ours but they had nothing to do with 911. We've spent 8.5 trillion dollars invading, torturing, arresting, imprisoning insurgents fighting for their own government and way of life. They're not even close to being terrorist, which this story proves. We all want the terrorist in chains, that's of no question. The way Bush thought was like a recovering addict leading the world. He was off on every point. He let Ladin and the 911 dogs escape with his foolish invasions. We're almost broke, the poor have become destitute as the rich prosper and prosper off the poor. The rich have the police power behind them and are immune from crime as the police themselves are. This is America? This is the land of justice. A land where the elite can smile, write books openly boasting of using torture, without any fear of prosecution by our Judical System. Our country is walking on innocent people who have no idea about 911. Yet we destroy their homes, arrest and torture their children and kill their father's. It's that our way? Is that the new America? The elections say so. Our flag has been stained by the blood of the innocent as the guilty sit in hiding laughing and literally rolling on the ground from what Bush's evil regime has done for them. Yet you vote these monsters back in office. Our flag has lost it's glory, The whole world see's the evilness and hypocracies and has nothing but disrespect for our country and flag. Why would anyone vote this back. We're bankrupt, shamed and I'm embarrassed to be an American.

[YrWrongAgain]

Do you have a twin?

[TheBackDoorman]

Yr if your handsome, strong, attractive, intellegent and loved by all, you just might my twin.

[babooph]

The US troops don't know the Patriot act ended their Bill of Rights & the US middle class is fast going away.Are they now fighting for Israel XOM, & the US trust fund parasites....?

[lilbear925]

The uneducated and the misinformed are easily led astray....John Mellencamp.

[YrWrongAgain]

They've been out of touch. Perhaps some voters here as well.

[tsimm97]

I wouldn't be surprised if there were people here as well that were unaware of it.

[babooph]

When they see us leave, will they be notified why we came in the first place?ALL idiocy....

[rationall7]

American solders arrive on their door steps 10 years ago and didn't say why they there, what they are selling and 10 years later we need to inform them to get their support? Let's not tell these people why we are there so we can stay another 10 years.