The CIA released a “significantly revised figure” for Afghanistan’s population last week. The CIA’s new number is 5.2 million lower than its previous estimates.
The inability of the United States to accurately gauge Afghanistan’s demographics could contribute to further delay in President Obama’s decision regarding troop escalation. General McChrystal’s proposal focuses on the protection of civilians under a new counterinsurgency strategy- a task which could be difficult to achieve without an accurate tally of Afghanistan’s population. The CIA Fact Book had regularly reported Afghanistan’s population to be near 32 million, while other civilian sources were reporting the population to be closer to 27 million. Read more at the Washington Post.
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