NATO’s planned withdrawal of combat troops from Afghanistan in 2014 will likely mean a Taliban takeover and civil war, residents in the heartland of the insurgency fear, echoing a worrying recent report…

“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…

“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 U.S. Agency for International Development.