Obama: Afghan Election 'Successful'

[undeterred]

Source: Voice of America News

U.S. President Barack Obama says Afghanistan's elections appear to have been successful, despite attempts by the Taliban to disrupt them with violence. He made the comment in a U.S. radio interview Thursday with host Michael Smerconish on Philadelphia's WPHT. Mr. Obama also promised the U.S. military will keep up the pressure on insurgents in Afghanistan to drive them out of their safe havens.

With Thursday's voting completed, Afghani officials are calling the election a success. But scattered violence killed at least 26 people across the country, it is not clear how many people voted, and there are reports of voting irregularities.

The victims include nine civilians, nine police officers and eight Afghan soldiers. Attacks were reported in Kabul, Kandahar and other major cities. Election workers are now counting the votes, a process that could take several days before initial results are known.

In Kabul and in northern Afghanistan, voting was steady in some polling centers throughout the day. In the south and east, where fears of Taliban attacks were strongest, there were reports of very low participation. A low voter turnout could damage the election's credibility and undermine support for the winner.


Read more: http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-08-20-voa48.cfm

[theoldman]

1. In what way was it successful?

Did our stooge get elected?

[undeterred]

2. It was successful in that it took place

and there were survivors. No results for a few days.

[saigon68]

11. No NEED to Count here is the "WINNER"

THE MAYOR OF KABUL (The US installed puppet of the 52nd State of the US)




CHARLIE MCKARZAI

[ohio2007]

3. Officials: Attacks kill 26 on Afghan election day

Unlike Iran....Afghan ballot counters seem to be foot dragging on the results.. TF's taking so long announcing the winner ?
:sarcasm:

KABUL (Map, News) -
Afghanistan's top security officials say 26 civilians and security forces have died in election-day militant attacks.

The deaths came as millions of Afghans cast ballots for president and provincial councils around the country. Security officials say eight Afghan soldiers, nine police and nine civilians died.

The scattered but minor attacks may have kept turnout down in some regions of Afghanistan, especially in the violent south.

A top Afghan election official tells The Associated Press he expects overall turnout to be 40 to 50 percent of the country's 15 million registered voters.


snip



KABUL (AP) - Taliban threats appeared to dampen voter turnout in the militant south Thursday when Afghans chose the next president for their deeply troubled country. Insurgents launched scattered rocket, suicide and bomb attacks that closed some polling sites.

After ten hours of voting, including a last-minute, one-hour extension, election workers began to count the millions of ballots cast across the country. Initial results weren't expected until Saturday.

Low turnout in the south would harm President Hamid Karzai's re-election chances and boost the standing of his top challenger, former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah. Turnout in the north appeared to be stronger, a good sign for Abdullah.

snip


http://www.examiner.com/a-2177813~Officials__Attacks_kill_26_on_Afghan_election_day.html

Taliban rockets explode near Australian troops in southern Afghanistan
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b49_1250804311

not much activity at that polling station in southern Afghanistan..... except for those two mortar shells that dropped in unnaounced.

[No Elephants]

17. People are saying we'll be there at least ten more years.

[chicago legal pro]

4. Good it was successful. Now declare victory and get out.

[deep1]

5. I wish he would slow down his fixation on Afghanistan.........

and focus on the thousands of children dying, being employed as war soldiers, etc in Congo! I'm tired of the focus being on these muslim countries. What about parts of sub saharan Africa? Is he not part African?

Forget about Honduras!

Somalia is a potential breeding ground for terrorists, why he is not focused on that country? Then again, I'm no policital scientist.

[Kolesar]

9. "slow down his FIXATION?"

President Obama ran on this issue. He is handling it responsibly.

[JeanGrey]

19. I can almost guarantee you that very few of us cared when

Obama was running about Afghanistan. He may have had it in his primary efforts, but I voted for the man to straighten up THIS country. We need single payer health insurance!! That is the number one thing. If we cannot take care of our own we have no business elsewhere, imho.

[WriteDown]

6. Mission accoplished! nt

[Alamuti Lotus]

8. Astute comparison; though I wouldn't have expected that from such a source..

Surely The Red Menace is up to some form of no good at this very moment...

[WriteDown]

12. It may have been an astute comparison, but

I wish my typing fingers worked better.

[Alamuti Lotus]

7. Through the Looking Glass: one hell of a place to don the hip rose-coloured shades

[Kolesar]

10. That was insightful

NOT

[Alamuti Lotus]

14. So then, everything is peachy, eh?

Looking more and more like Shrubwar apologists for Iraq all these years....

[BOG PERSON]

15. n/m

[Kolesar]

16. You have crap for compositional skills...eom

[Alamuti Lotus]

18. Please elaborate

I suspect it is rather my comprehension skills that should be in question at this time, as I am not really following this stilted debate.. In my defense, I should say that my skills for composing are, in fact, higher than most, with an especially astute nack for on-the-fly pseudo-original conceptual mashings (that sentence, however, contained far too many commas).

[Flaneur]

13. Ha ha ha, good one, Obama!