KANDAHAR, Afghanistan: NATO's planned withdrawal of combat troops from Afghanistan in 2014 will likely mean a Taleban takeover and civil war, residents in the heartland of the insurgency fear, echoing a worrying recent report.
Afghans in the southern city of Kandahar said Afghanistan's security forces would likely collapse when foreign combat troops left, even if they continued providing training and equipment.
Kandahar province is the birthplace of the Taleban and has long been the focal point of Afghanistan's bitter insurgency.
"It's 100 percent possible that there will be a civil war," said Pida Muhammad, a worker at the Kandahar governor's palace. "Afghans cannot have union among themselves. That could only happen by a miracle, only Allah can do it. It's beyond our comprehension," the 26-year-old said.
Kandahar is one of Afghanistan's most fertile areas and is an important element in the rich, illicit opium poppy trade that helps funds the insurgency, as well as a major road trade hub.
The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) has 25,000 troops fighting in the province, mostly American, alongside about 10,000 Afghans. Security in Kandahar city has improved dramatically, US and NATO commanders say, especially after the bulk of 30,000 extra US troops ordered by US President Barack Obama last December were sent to fight in the south.
Residents say bombings have tapered off in recent weeks but, even though thankful for security gains, Kandaharis worry that Afghanistan could again be plunged into escalating fighting. "It will take at least 15 years or more for the Afghan security forces to stand on their own," said Nadeem Akbar, a project officer for the US Agency for International Development.
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