The Obama administration and our international partners had hoped the first presidential vote run by the new democracy would be a kick off point for a young government. Instead, fraud and corruption (ballot-box stuffing) have ruined Karzai's reputation and the dishonesty threaten to undermine the credibility of the U.N. which helped organize the election. On Sunday,a top U.N. official in Afghanistan acknowledged "widespread fraud" in the presidential election, but still rejected that he covered up cheating to smooth the path to victory for President Hamid Karzai. When questioned, Karzai said that "confusion" over election results had been "created by Western elements in our country." He did not explain anything else. The election results are very important because once the results become clear, President Barack Obama is expected to decide whether to accept a recommendation by Gen. Stanley McChrystal, for up to 40,000 more troops.
By Carla Lutz
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