Over 90% Afghans living in battlefront region unaware of 9/11 terror attacks: Report

WASHINGTON - Most of the Afghan population living in the region which is a major battlefront between the US and the Taliban don’t know anything about the terrorist attacks that brought international soldiers to Afghanistan, according to a report.

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 September 11, 2001, terror attacks, CBS News reports.

“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 a foreign news agency.

“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,” MacDonald said.

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, CBS News reports.

In July, the organization plans to reduce its troop levels in the country and hand over responsibility for the country’s security by 2014. (ANI)