Report on Progress Toward Security and Stability in - United States ...

of negotiation. The advisory group continues to work closely with the MoI to ensure the APPF
matures and continues to support commercial and development efforts.
4.7: POPULATION SECURITY 25
Afghan national perception in regard to security conditions have improved slightly since
September 2011, based on the percentage of polled citizens who described security as either
“fair” or “good” (85 percent in September 2011 versus nearly 90 percent in March 2012).
Additionally, the percentage of Afghans who described their security environment as “bad”
decreased from approximately 15 percent in September 2011 to close to 10 percent in March
2012.
Polls indicate that Afghans who believe the police can protect them outnumber their opposites by
a 3-to-1 margin. Seventy-three percent of Afghans believe that “the police are capable of
protecting their mantaqa,” a three percent increase from the previous quarter, while the
percentage of Afghans who rated the police as “incapable” fell from 28 percent to 25 percent
during the same timeframe. Two percent of respondents declined to answer or said they didn’t
know.
Despite negative views of the security situation in some areas across the country, the majority of
Afghans believe the government is leading security efforts – a sentiment that has prevailed for
several years. Conversely, Afghans’ perception of Taliban and anti-government elements’
contribution to security remains low.
4.8: CIVILIAN CASUALTIES
During this reporting period, ISAF took extensive measures, including revising and re-issuing
several Tactical Directives, to reduce ISAF-caused civilian casualties. These measures have
generated positive results. Data indicates that 78 percent of civilian casualties (CIVCAS)
occurring during the reporting period were caused by the insurgency. The total CIVCAS for the
period of October 2011 – March 2012 decreased 32 percent from the same period last year.
CIVCAS caused by ISAF decreased 49 percent over the same period.
Insurgents continue to rely on IEDs as the principal means to execute their campaign. More than
60 percent of CIVCAS caused by insurgents were from indiscriminate IED explosions. More
than half of IEDs and mines were found safely cleared by security forces, which has helped to
reduce CIVCAS.
25 Data in this sub-section was taken from the Afghan National Quarterly Assessment Research (ANQAR) Survey, Wave 15, March 2012.
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