Free Republic

More than 200 Fort Bragg paratroopers returned home Sunday from Afghanistan, where they provided security for the first open election in that country's history. The 222 soldiers of the 1st Battalion of the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment were deployed to Afghanistan for almost nine weeks to help ensure that the elections went ahead without anticipated violence. The paratroopers arrived at Green Ramp on Pope Air Force Base at 10:45 a.m. to a crowd of cheering family and friends. Between 800 and 1,000 soldiers from the 505th were in the central and eastern regions of Afghanistan. They will all return to...

KABUL, Afghanistan - Afghanistan (news - web sites)'s first direct presidential election was thrust into turmoil hours after it started Saturday when all 15 candidates challenging interim leader Hamid Karzai alleged fraud over the ink meant to ensure people voted only once and vowed to boycott the results. But electoral officials rejected their demand that the vote be called off, saying an apparent mix-up with the ink was not severe enough to halt the historic vote. They said they would rule on the legitimacy of the vote later. "The vote will continue because halting the vote at this stage is...