Saturday, October 09, 2004

AT.  The main theme of this (Afghan) election won't be reported: it's called voter intimidation. Both the European Union and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe even said they could not monitor the election for fear they would be constrained to denounce it as not being free and fair. In the end, they sent some 125 monitors - but they are confined to Kabul - for fear of Taliban attacks. In the mountains and deserts of Afghanistan, "security" in the polls will be provided by local militias controlled by - who else - regional warlords, who themselves will be controlling voter intimidation.  Bush needs Afghanistan as a "success" for only one reason: his own re-election campaign. In the real world, what will happen is that Dostum gets the Uzbek vote, Mohaqiq the Hazara vote and Qanooni the Tajik vote. Karzai will be their hostage - again. As for Taliban leader Mullah Omar, he is also voting. With guns. 11:34:11 AM    Comment_ Trackback []