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Are Afghans really happy?
There is a loud sound of head-scratching in Kabul these days as Afghans and foreigners alike ponder the results of a poll conducted jointly by ABC News, the BBC and German television company ARD.
According to the survey, 70 percent of Afghans believe their country is going in the right direction. A similar number have faith in their government, support the presence of the foreign troops and say that their living situation is generally pretty good.
But the prevailing mood in the country does not seem to support the published results.
"It is a big mistake to believe in that BBC poll," said Rahimullah Samander, head of the Center for International Journalism. "Things are getting worse day by day."
His view is echoed by journalists, researchers, and ordinary Afghans around the country.