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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: Afghanistan election

Afghanistan election stories: 60 news summaries

1 - 20 of 60 Stories | 1 2 3 Next >>

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 Karzai Sworn In, 
 Vows  to Fight 
 Corruption  

Afghan prez promises to take over country's security in 5 years 

Nov 19, 09 7:31 AM CST
(Newser) - Hamid Karzai vowed to fight corruption today after he was sworn in to a second 5-year term as president of Afghanistan. Karzai, whose election victory was tainted by widespread allegations of vote-rigging, said his government would learn from "our mistakes and shortcomings of the last eight years." The... More »

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Afghanistan • Hillary Clinton • Hamid Karzai • disputed election • Abdullah Abdullah • Afghanistan election

BRET STEPHENS

Karzai's Not So Bad—
By Afghan Standards

Blame NATO missteps, not corruption

Nov 10, 09 1:23 AM CST
(Newser) - Hamid Karzai's no saint but he's much better than Mullah Omar, civil war, or the murderous Soviet stooges that ruled Afghanistan for many years, writes Bret Stephens. It has become fashionable among "neo-neo-cons" who have suddenly discovered the virtues of good governance to slam Karzai's tainted administration, but history... More »

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Afghanistan • Hamid Karzai • disputed election • Mullah Omar • Abdullah Abdullah • Afghanistan election • Bret Stephens

  Afghan Governor 
 Rejects Karzai Election 


Dispute could spark fresh fighting in northern province

Nov 6, 09 5:37 AM CST
(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."... More »

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Afghanistan • Taliban • Hamid Karzai • Northern Alliance • Afghanistan war • Abdullah Abdullah • Afghanistan election • Atta Mohammed Noor

Karzai Promises Change; Taliban Disses 'Puppet'

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

Nov 3, 09 6:48 AM CST
(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... More »

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Afghanistan • Taliban • Hamid Karzai • corruption • Abdullah Abdullah • Afghanistan election

 Obama Calls for 
 New Afghan Chapter

Karzai congratulated, told to clean up his government

Nov 3, 09 2:50 AM CST
(Newser) - President Obama congratulated Hamid Karzai on his "messy" election victory yesterday while warning him that it was time to clean up corruption in his government. "I emphasized that this has to be a point in time in which we begin to write a new chapter," said Obama,... More »

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Afghanistan • Hamid Karzai • Afghanistan war • President Obama • Abdullah Abdullah • Afghanistan election

ANALYSIS

 Karzai, US Stuck 
 With Each Other 

Afghan prez must act quickly to restore legitimacy

Nov 2, 09 4:04 AM CST
(Newser) - Hamid Karzai is suddenly the only game in town after Abdullah Abdullah’s withdrawal from a runoff election, and the Obama administration must figure out how to restore legitimacy to the Afghan president’s government and extend his influence outside of Kabul. It's critical that Karzai wins back the support... More »

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Afghanistan • Hamid Karzai • Abdullah Abdullah • Afghanistan election

 Jarrett: 
 Abdullah 
 Quitting Isn't  
 a Complication 

Says election up to Afghan gov't; Obama decision may be delayed

Nov 1, 09 8:54 AM CST
(Newser) - Senior White House adviser Valerie Jarrett says Abdullah Abdullah's withdrawal from next weekend's runoff election in Afghanistan won't complicate the White House's decision-making process on a war strategy. But Jarrett tells George Stephanopoulos that the president's decision could slide back to late November. “The President will make a decision... More »

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Afghanistan • runoff election • Valerie Jarrett • Obama administration • Abdullah Abdullah • Afghanistan election • Sunday morning talk shows

AFGHANISTAN ELECTION

 Abdullah 
 Pulls Out 
 of Runoff 


Cites Karzai's refusal to reform election system

Nov 1, 09 7:23 AM CST
(Newser) - The only contender to unseat Afghan President Hamid Karzai today followed through on his threat to boycott the runoff election slated for Nov. 7. Citing Karzai's refusal to overhaul the election system as impetus for his decision, Abdullah Abdullah declared a “transparent election is not possible” at a news... More »

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Afghanistan • Hamid Karzai • election fraud • Abdullah Abdullah • Afghanistan election

Karzai Challenger Plans
to Call for Boycott

But spokesman leaves room for late maneuvering

Oct 31, 09 1:51 PM CDT
(AP) - Afghan presidential challenger Abdullah Abdullah plans to boycott next week's runoff against Hamid Karzai and instead call for postponement of the vote until the spring, his campaign manager said today. "As of now," Abdullah plans to call for a boycott during a press conference tomorrow, he said. Abdullah... More »

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Afghanistan • Hamid Karzai • election fraud • Abdullah Abdullah • Afghanistan election

 Karzai Foe Set to Pull Out 
 of Afghan Runoff 

Talks have broken down between Abdullah, president

Oct 30, 09 8:42 PM CDT
(AP) - Talks between Afghan President Hamid Karzai and challenger Abdullah Abdullah have broken down, and Abdullah is likely to pull out of next week's presidential runoff, a person with knowledge of the talks said today. An announcement could come as early as Saturday but more likely Sunday, the person said. More »

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Hamid Karzai • negotiations • runoff election • Abdullah Abdullah • Afghanistan election

Poll Numbers

Public Backs Afghan Troop Surge 47%-43%

....and majority support holding off on decision until after runoff

Oct 28, 09 11:21 AM CDT
(Newser) - Public support for a troop surge in Afghanistan is surging, too, according to a new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll . Support for a troop increase edged out opposition 47% to 43%, after trailing opposition 44% to 51% last month. But 58% also support waiting until after the runoff election to make... More »

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Afghanistan • troop surge • poll • health care reform • poll numbers • public option • Afghanistan election

UPDATED

 UN Staffers Among 
 Dozen Killed in 
 Kabul Attacks 

Taliban claims responsibility for attacks on guest houses

Oct 28, 09 5:11 AM CDT
(Newser) - Six United Nations staffers and six others were killed today when militants armed with automatic weapons, grenades, and suicide vests stormed two guest houses in downtown Kabul where international workers were sleeping. One of the dead was American. The nationalities of the others was not immediately known. Rockets hit another... More »

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Afghanistan • United Nations • Taliban • Kabul • Afghanistan war • Afghanistan election

Karzai's Rival
May Boycott
Runoff Vote

Abdullah demands
overhaul of Afghan
election commission

Oct 26, 09 1:25 AM CDT
(Newser) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s strongest political challenger may boycott next month's planned runoff election if the country’s election commission is not completely purged of Karzai supporters. Abdullah Abdullah has consistently charged that without a commission overhaul the vote-rigging which marred the original election is bound to be repeated.... More »

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Afghanistan • United Nations • Hamid Karzai • disputed election • election • Abdullah Abdullah • Afghanistan election

AFGHAN ELECTION

 Karzai Nixes 
 Power-Sharing 
 Government 

Abdullah says result will be same without new election officials

Oct 25, 09 8:10 AM CDT
(Newser) - Both candidates for Afghanistan's presidency focused on the Nov. 7 runoff yesterday, with Hamid Karzai declaring that there would be no power-sharing government, while challenger Abdullah Abdullah voiced concern that without the ouster of top election officials, the tainted outcome would be no different. "So long as these people... More »

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Taliban • Hamid Karzai • election fraud • runoff election • Abdullah Abdullah • Afghanistan election

Afghanistan strategy

 Obama Uses 
 Troop Bump 
 to Pressure Karzai 




US wants clean election, and could support a coalition government

Oct 22, 09 9:14 AM CDT
(AP) - The US built pressure on Hamid Karzai yesterday, with both Barack Obama and John Kerry signaling that a troop increase could hinge on a successful runoff election, and that the Obama administration would be receptive to a power-sharing deal between Karzai and his chief rival. A coalition government could provide... More »

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Afghanistan • Barack Obama • John Kerry • Hamid Karzai • runoff election • Afghanistan war • Afghanistan election

UN to Sack Half of Afghan Election Officials

Ban Ki-Moon plans measures to ensure widespread fraud isn't repeated

Oct 21, 09 8:00 AM CDT
(Newser) - The United Nations learned "quite a painful lesson" from the widespread fraud in Afghanistan's August election, and aims to rout out corrupt voting supervisors next time around, Ban Ki-Moon said yesterday. The UN secretary-general said more than half of the election officials should be removed before next month's runoff... More »

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Afghanistan • Hamid Karzai • election fraud • disputed election • Ban Ki-Moon • Abdullah Abdullah • Afghanistan election

ANALYSIS

 Karzai Took Major 
 Arm-Twisting to OK Runoff 

Round 2 of Afghan election no panacea, either

Oct 21, 09 7:24 AM CDT
(Newser) - Hamid Karzai's concession yesterday that an election runoff was necessary may have brought Afghanistan back from political paralysis, but another ballot is no sure solution. The potential for fraud—more than a quarter of first round ballots were thrown out—has not abated, the New York Times notes. Today Abdullah... More »

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Afghanistan • Barack Obama • John Kerry • Gordon Brown • Hamid Karzai • runoff election • Abdullah Abdullah • Afghanistan election

 Afghan Runoff Set for Nov. 7 

Karzai accepts results of UN-backed recount

Oct 20, 09 7:37 AM CDT
(AP) - Afghanistan's election commission has ordered a runoff election for Nov. 7 after a fraud investigation dropped President Hamid Karzai's votes below 50% of the total. Karzai accepted the fraud panel finding in a press conference and endorsed a runoff election. The Independent Election Commission said it did not want to... More »

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Afghanistan • Hamid Karzai • election fraud • runoff election • Afghanistan election

 Karzai Challenger 
 Rejects Plan to 
 Share Power 

Abdullah wants interim government: 'Karzai's term is over'

Oct 20, 09 6:19 AM CDT
(Newser) - Abdullah Abdullah, who came in second in the first round of Afghanistan's presidential election, is calling for an interim government to take over the country if it's too difficult or dangerous to organize a runoff in the coming weeks. The challenger to Hamid Karzai also rejected suggestions of a power-sharing... More »

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Afghanistan • Hamid Karzai • runoff election • Abdullah Abdullah • Afghanistan election

 Karzai Accepts 
 UN Recount, 
 Runoff Looms 

Runoff election looms as prez bows to pressure

Oct 20, 09 4:41 AM CDT
(Newser) - Hamid Karzai will bow to international pressure and accept the results of a UN-backed recount of Afghanistan's presidential election, US and European officials tell the New York Times. The incumbent will publicly acknowledge he fell short of 50% of the first-round vote as early as today, setting the stage for... More »

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Afghanistan • John Kerry • voter fraud • Hamid Karzai • runoff election • Ban Ki-Moon • Abdullah Abdullah • Afghanistan election

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