ANALYSIS-Fighting bodes ill for Bush's Afghan poll vision

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/ISL174678.htm

KABUL, March 22 (Reuters) - A brief but bloody burst of factional fighting sparked by the killing of a cabinet minister in one of Afghanistan's few stable cities bodes ill for U.S.-led efforts to restore order before elections later this year.

Two and a half years into a campaign to crush remnant Taliban militants, U.S. troops must have been stunned when two groups on the side of the Kabul government battled with heavy weapons in the streets of the western city of Herat. More than 100 people, including civilians, died in Sunday's fighting.

Efforts to restore order are not the only victim. Also hurt are President Hamid Karzai's credibility in extending his authority into restive provinces and a pledge by U.S.-led forces to ensure security for Afghanistan's first-ever free elections in June.

"This is going to be a huge setback for the elections; for the Americans," said Pakistani author and Afghan expert Ahmed Rashid.

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[David__77]

1. There were elections before in Afghanistan...

During the 60's and 70's there were parliamentary elections and many different parties--theocrats, communists, monarchists, Maoists. I hear nothing of parties and a free press in Afghanistan now.

[teryang]

2. Wherever you look

It's another Chimp foreign policy failure. Even the conservative "experts" are now correcting the media pundits when they try to put events in a positive light with their reflexive pro-Bushista spin.

No, invading Iraq did not help the war on terror but it has broadened it by placing targets on Americans in Iraq and motivating more anti-American/coalition terrorist activity abroad.

No, things are not getting better in Iraq. We are looking at a failed state.

Things are not getting better in Afghanistan.

We are not turning the corner on terrorism, we are looking into an morass caused by bad leadership from the war on Iraq drumbeaters. They've started plenty of fires but can't put any of them out.

So far the experts I've heard are aggreed in substance with Clarke, wrong priority (Iraq), underestimating the threat of al quaeda, diverting resources from war on terrorism and politically trying to manipulate the terrorism problem as a justification to go to war with Iraq when there was no demonstrated link. This is hurting the chimp junta big time. But the underlying thing that is hurting him is the military failure in Iraq and the phony war on terror not preventing a spate of attacks abroad.

[yardwork]

3. What did * and his minions expect?

We bombed them to pieces, then abandoned them (again) to go chasing Saddam.

This is exactly what we did in the 1980s. That time we produced al Quaida. I wonder what we're producing in Afghanistan today?

What creature is slouching toward Kabul to be born?

[tabasco]

5. Exactly right.

We sent some Special Forces teams to ride herd on the warlords, and one division (10th Mountain) to fight the people that were really behind 9-11. Meanwhile, the rest of the armed forces were commited to Iraq, which was no threat. Now Afghanistan is going to hell in a handbasket. Great going, Bush. I am glad to see the crimes of this administration being exposed. I will be much happier when more American people open their eyes to the real agenda and total corruption of the republican party.

[calimary]

6. Oh man, that was the scariest line in that poem.

Still gives me chills.

Especially now.

[JoFerret]

4. "vision" - LOL

.