US and Britain diverge on election fraud in Afghanistan
US envoy Richard Holbrooke said delaying the vote count would benefit the Taliban, while British Foreign Secretary David Miliband urged that allegations of fraud be investigated.
By David Montero | Correspondent 09.11.09
Allegations of voter fraud in Afghanistan may be creating a rift between the United States and Britain.
Appearing on the BBC, US special envoy to Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke had remarkably different things to say about the situation in Afghanistan than British Foreign Secretary David Miliband did.
Downplaying the election controversy in Afghanistan, Mr. Holbrooke characterized the rampant allegations of fraud as the sloppy, but normal side effects of democracy. Mr. Miliband said free and fair are not how his government would describe the elections. And while Holbrooke suggested that delaying the vote through a recount would only help the Taliban, Miliband emphasized that allegations of fraud must be investigated.
Eight years after the 9/11 attacks, the US finds itself mired in controversy in Afghanistan. Troop deaths are at an all-time high, public support for the war is at all-time low, and efforts to build democracy through a national election have descended into chaos. Given the rampant allegations of corruption, the Christian Science Monitor stated in a recent editorial, the Obama administration should press for a recount:
For the moment, though, the immediate focus should be on a vote recount. If President Karzai did receive less than 50 percent of the vote, as a recount may likely reveal, the US and other Western powers should step up efforts to make sure the runoff election is not corrupted.
Richard Holbrooke told the BBC that critics of the election should not “jump to conclusions,” and that the Taliban and Al Qaeda would benefit the longer the count is delayed.
“The beneficiary of that would be the Taliban and Al-Qaeda, and I need to underscore that… the beneficiary of any delays of the sort you’re talking about would be the Taliban and Al-Qaeda, and everybody understands that.”
Mr. Holbrooke tried to deflect criticism by saying that voting in the West was ‘imperfect’ as well:
“Not all of the people in Afghanistan were able to vote, and as I’ve said many times before this election, there are imperfect elections throughout the west as well, and holding elections under these conditions is a very brave thing to do so let’s see what happens before jumping to conclusions,” Mr Holbrooke told the BBC’s Newsnight programme.
But Britain’s foreign secretary seemed to take a different view, according to Reuters India.
The people of Afghanistan as well as the people of Britain need a credible government in Kabul that can actually lead that country in a serious way,” [David Miliband, the British Foreign Secretary said].
<< Pakistan arrests Swat Taliban leader | MainAsked if he was concerned about the reports of widespread fraud and vote-rigging, he said, “Of course. We will not be party to any whitewash when it comes to the election… We have concerns about very serious allegations of fraud.”
Comments
2. chris | 09.11.09
The elections of Afganistan needs to be put in perspective. Everybody wants flawless election results. What Holbrooke says is very true delaying the election results does help the Taliban. What the Europeans say about not having creadable elections also provides propaganda for the Taliban. If the Europeans are concerned about having another election then they should put forth the resources of manpower and money to see the elections are held as soon as possible. Completed within the next few months.
The campaings have already been ongoing. With the kind of concern Europe is demonstrating having a meeting in a few months about what to do in Afganistan is baseless. Isnt the issue important enough to have a meeting this month and the reelection completed within the next few months. The important thing to realize is that new democaracies are developing processes.
3. JimN | 09.12.09
Comparing “imperfect” voting in the West to the creation of hundreds of sham polling places that never opened is an insult to decency. Suggesting that dissent & proper vetting will aid the enemy is among the most shameful of tactics favored by the Bush administration. Propping up the undeniably corrupt Karzai regime has become frightening similar to our propping of the South Vietnam regime. Obama needs to fire Holbrooke and quickly change course, or history will repeat itself; another quagmire & national disgrace brought by the false idealism of a Democratic President.
4. Harry Heine | 09.13.09
The curtain is burned long time ago
Afghanistan never was a democracy. In this antediluvian, underdeveloped country, it is impossible to transport a regime of a modern state in such society.
This is now widespread in public. This mock-democracy failed from the beginning. It exists only to support the war against the afghan people and to make the home front firm.
5. bill payer | 10.27.09
just be happy the rothchilds allow you to be a pawn.democracies are the new shell game. the people have no power, cause we’re all free to spread lies & fear. dumb down the populace, bingo!
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1. K Gallagher | 09.11.09
Richard Holbrooke better watch. The elections in Afghanistan are a SHAM and any Whitewashing as the British said will not only lead to demonstrations in Afghanistan but a certain one term for Mr Obama and Mr Holbrooke. The United States needs to support a second round of elections and not keep overstating how elections are not always fair in the WEST. Afghanistan is not Minnesota! Afghanistan is not Florida. This is BIG FRAUD and will not be swept under the rug. Perhaps Mr Holbrooke is the puppet of Karzai and Pakistan at this point