Afghans look to future amid hopes

As the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) are going to hand over the security responsibilities to the Afghan national security forces, the war-weary Afghans are concerned whether the Afghan army and police would be able to bear the burden of security alone in the absence of foreign forces.

"The international troops are going to begin pulling out from Afghanistan this year in 2011 but we do doubt the capability of our national forces to discharge their responsibility as needed," Kabul university student Wafa Mohammad told Xinhua on Saturday, the New Year's Day.

Corroborating his notion, Mohammad said that the " administration is rampant and the Afghan security forces have not acquired necessary weaponry particularly airpower to act independently."

However, the young student was optimistic about the future career of Afghan national security forces, saying he is hopeful that national troops would tackle the security problems arising out of Taliban and associated insurgents properly.

Meanwhile, a street vendor named Hatiq in talks with Xinhua's scribe looked with pessimism about future particularly in the field of economy.

"There has been no developments in the past 10 years after Taliban collapsed, and the year 2010 was the most worsen year and there were nothing positive except killing and destruction," said Hatiq, 38, who is looking for permanent job with regular income.

Although there is no statistics, more than 12 million Afghans out of the total 30 million population are living under poverty line in Afghanistan, according to some officials.

The United Nations, according to media reports, has appealed for 400 million U.S. dollars for 7 million vulnerable Afghans in 2011.

"We demand the government to take all steps to bring security and stability in Afghanistan and to provide job opportunities for people," he further said.

"I do hope 2011 will be the year of ensuring lasting peace and economic recovery in Afghanistan," Hatiq said.

However, he maintained he is not optimistic for national security forces to secure all 34 provinces after NATO and U.S. forces withdrawal from Afghanistan.

"Our biggest dream is to have security and development. I want to go to school instead of working as a street child to support my seven-member family," an 11-years-old child, Bashir Khan, told Xinhua reporter.

"What we have done in 2009 and 2010, first of all, was setting the conditions right," spokesman of NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Brigadier-General Josef Blotz said last week. However, "we are going to face more violence in 2011, it's not yet over, there will be still fighting, the work has not been done."

He said the NATO forces and its Afghan partners would keep more pressure on Taliban militants in 2011.

"We need to solidify the gains we have made on the last couple of years," he said.

At the same time, Afghans are seeking ways to solidify their hopes among frustration in the new year, just like in the last slipping years. Xinhua