Posted on 08/29/2009 10:41:43 AM PDT by nickcarraway
A senior British diplomat has said an "explosive" meeting between the US special envoy to Afghanistan and the country's president is very worrying.
US special envoy Richard Holbrooke is believed to have complained about the use of fraud in last week's election.
But Lord Ashdown, a former special envoy to Bosnia who was put forward as special envoy to Afghanistan, said foreign interference was "unhelpful". He said foreign criticism could "de-legitimise the whole process". Lord Ashdown told the BBC: "I think if there are doubts about corruption in the election, etc, it would be far better, at least in the first instance, to let the Afghan procedures with UN support run their course before jumping to conclusions." Taliban 'could benefit' Lord Ashdown added that undermining the election could have disastrous consequences. He said: "The effect of it could be to de-legitimise the whole process.
"If it is the case that the Americans by some form or another have declared these elections illegitimate as it were, have undermined the legitimacy of the electoral process, then our capacity to be able to win back the support of the Pashtun tribes from the Taliban is lessened.
"And the people this is likely to help most are the Taliban themselves."
Mr Holbrooke is believed to have complained about the use of fraud in last week's election by some members of the president's campaign team - as well as by other candidates.
Sources report that Mr Karzai reacted very angrily to the accusations, although a spokesman for the presidential palace has denied the account of the conversation.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
Sheesh! The inmates are in control! Who can we insult next? Have we insulted the Japanese yet?
Richard Holbrooke is typical of all that is wrong with the State Department. One wonders for whom he is working. His point seems to be to torpedo our country wherever possible. He is a complete disaster.
It is obvious who is calling the shots. President Obama and Co. get no respect.
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