Posted on 09/19/2005 6:29:43 AM PDT by Valin
KABUL, Afghanistan — Some filed into schools to cast their ballots amid lessons still scrawled on blackboards. Others stepped over piles of shoes to vote in mosques. In remote areas, tents served as polling stations. Across Afghanistan, millions of people lined up at polling stations in defiance of a Taliban boycott call and militant attacks to vote for a new parliament Sunday. It was the last formal step in starting a democracy aimed at ending decades of rule by the gun. “Today is a magnificent day for Afghanistan,” said Ali Safar, 62, standing in line to vote in Kabul. “We want dignity, we want stability and peace.”
Officials hailed the polls as a major success, although initial estimates suggested voter turnout was lower than hoped for because of security fears and frustrations over the inclusion of several warlords on the ballot. Results were not expected for more than a week. Many people looked to a big vote to marginalize renegade loyalists of the ousted Taliban regime by demonstrating public support for an elected government built up under the protection of 20,000 soldiers in the American-led coalition and 11,000 NATO peacekeepers.
Washington and other governments have poured in billions of dollars trying to foster a civic system that encourages Afghanistan’s fractious ethnic groups to work together peacefully and ensure the nation is never again a staging post for al Qaeda and other terrorist groups. “After 30 years of wars, interventions, occupations and misery, today Afghanistan is moving forward, making an economy, making political institutions,” President Hamid Karzai said as he cast his ballot nearly a year after his own victory in an election that defied Taliban threats.
Fifteen people, including a French commando in the U.S.-led coalition, were killed in a spate of violence during the day. But there was no spectacular attack as threatened by Taliban militants, whose stepped-up insurgency the past six months caused more than 1,200 deaths.
Is this any way to run a quagmire?
George Galloway prefers the Taliban.
The way the headline reads it seems the AP is 'surprised' the voters didn't heed the Taliban's suggestions.
Everything is going pretty good - run this story on page B29...
The same 'surprise' was evident when the Iraqis did not heed the terrorists' suggestions.
Liberals do not understand the human desire for freedom.
No spin here...well maybe just a little, but that's bacause of George Bush won't do what they tell him.So it's not really their fault.
Modest Turnout For Afghan Vote
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/09/19/world/main857615.shtml
Low turnout in Afghan polls
http://www.ndtv.com/template/template.asp?template=Afghanistancopes&slug=Low+turnout+in+Afghan+polls&id=78930&callid=1
Afghanistan holds landmark legislative elections, rebels stage attacks
http://www.cbc.ca/cp/world/050918/w091860.html
Afghans Vote Despite Threats of Attacks
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1138008
Afghans set for historic vote despite violence fear
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10346143
Afghans Brave Violence to Vote, at Least 15 Killed
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-afghan-lat091805,0,2788312.story?coll=la-story-footer&track=morenews
This will be a one-day story.
They had an election? Oh yes, I read something about that on Page 23 in the Milwaukee Journal yesterday. No media bias here.
"...Taliban militants, whose stepped-up insurgency the past six months caused more than 1,200 deaths."
Every story notes these 1200 deaths. If my reading of the events there is correct, the majority of the 1200 were Taliban deaths. Of course the un-biased media will never report this aspect.
Can some good FReeper out there confirm this?
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