The London Telegraph reports more good news resulting from American military intervention in the war on Islamofascist terror. A poll conducted in Afghanistan by an American charity finds that Afghanis far prefer the current direction of their country:

In the most comprehensive survey to be held in Afghanistan 64 per cent of those polled said they were satisfied with the direction the country was taking, two and a half years after the American invasion removed the Taliban. Only 11 per cent said they were dissatisfied.

The survey, commissioned by the Asia Foundation, an independent, privately funded American charity, showed that 81 per cent of people planned to vote in the presidential election in October, with 77 per cent of them believing the vote, and a parliamentary poll next April, would "make a difference".

So much for the argument that American indifference is causing Afghanistan to slide back into anarchy. When was the last time the US had an 81% turnout for a presidential election? More than three-quarters of all Afghanis believe in the vote and its ability to build a new life for themselves. I bet we'd be hard-pressed to match that here.

In terms of security, the picture also appears less bleak than painted recently. Over half of Afghanis think that security is good or excellent in their area, and security ranked as the highest electoral priority for only slightly more than a third. It sounds as though the Afghanis feel remarkably safe in going to the polls, considering the ongoing issues with Taliban holdouts. Their confidence also speaks to the work that the US and NATO have done in keeping the Taliban remnants suppressed while the country rebuilds its political infrastructure.

More good news seems to be seeping into the media of late, although mostly through foreign news services like the Telegraph. Eventually, the American mainstream outlets will be forced to provide coverage. Let's hope it happens in time to show Americans that the forward strategy of engaging terrorists and their primary support structures is successful and should be continued.

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