Taliban Peace Talks Dominate Afghan Race

Chaos and corruption aid insurgents' propaganda campaign

(NEWSER) - It's still not evident whether Hamid Karzai will avoid a runoff in Afghanistan's presidential vote, but the winner of the election is clear: the Taliban. Delays in tallying and alleged systemic fraud have given the insurgency new material for a sophisticated propaganda campaign that portrays the Karzai administration as corrupt to the core. And as the US, EU, and UN debate whether to accept the results, the Taliban is pushing the line that Western powers are in control of the country, reports the Washington Post. More»

(NEWSER) - Taliban fighters wearing explosive-laced vests stormed a government-run bank in central Kabul today, precipitating an hours-long shootout with Afghan forces 24 hours before the presidential election. A Taliban source said that 20 militants had entered Kabul, a day after a suicide bomb and a rocket attack rocked the capital. Afghan officials continue to press for a media blackout on election violence, fearing a depressed turnout. More»

Dispute could spark fresh fighting in northern province

(NEWSER) - A powerful warlord-turned-governor's rejection of Hamid Karzai's election victory is raising fears that one of Afghanistan's most stable provinces could collapse into fighting. Atta Mohammed Noor—the only one of Afghanistan's 34 governors to have openly supported Karzai's rival, Abdullah Abdullah—has denounced Karzai as an "unlawful president." His many supporters in the northern province of Balkh are expected to turn violent if the federal government tries to remove him. More»

Insurgent 'brothers' reject the Afghan president's call for unity

(NEWSER) - Hamid Karzai made some sweeping but non-specific promises to banish corruption and reach out to opponents today in his first press conference since being re-elected by default. The Afghan president also reached out to "Taliban brothers," urging them to "embrace their land," but his overtures were scorned by insurgent leaders who said the canceled runoff vote was a victory for them, the BBC reports. More»

(NEWSER) - White House hopes that the Afghan election would show the country's progress toward stability have been dashed, as the voting instead highlighted the challenges Afghanistan faces, the New York Times reports. With a runoff between President Karzai and challenger Adbullah Abdullah on the horizon, observers complain of fraud, ballot stuffing and turnout so low that Taliban intimidation effectively disenfranchised some regions. More»