AFGHANISTAN -- VIOLENCE THREATENS VOTE

AFGHANISTAN -- VIOLENCE THREATENS VOTE: Referring to the upcoming
presidential elections in Afghanistan, President Bush said democracy in
Afghanistan was " unbelievable" and "powerful
(http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/09/20040920-17.html) ."
But, in part because of the Bush administration's underfunding of
reconstruction and security in the country, today's Washington Post reports
there are still serious obstacles to a successful election, including
"widespread fears of voter intimidation by local political or militia
bosses and of attacks on candidates and polling facilities by the Taliban
militia
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A36002-2004Sep20.html)
and other groups that oppose the elections." In the last week, there
have been assassination attempts on both Vice President Nematullah
Shahrani and President Hamid Karzai. Both the U.S. and NATO have agreed to
send additional military forces to provide security for the election, but
"security conditions are considered so dangerous that European
countries have declined to send teams of election monitors; that could make the
vote harder to protect and guarantee."