 RFE/RL Afghanistan Report 9/2/2009 4:21:45 PM A review of RFE/RL reporting and analysis about Afghanistan.For more stories on Afghanistan, please visit and bookmark our Afghanistan page . |
 A Microcosm Of What's Gone Wrong In Afghanistan Afghanistan's southern Kandahar Province has a special place in the country's history, having been home to Afghan kings and the ruling elite for centuries. But this vast desert region is now one of the most insecure areas in Afghanistan and a microcosm of what went wrong in the country after the fall of the Taliban in 2001. The region presents a key test for the incoming Afghan administration and U.S. General Stanley McChrystal, the commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan. More  Afghan Meeting Overshadowed By Vote Fraud Claims France is hosting a meeting of special representatives from 27 countries to discuss the situation in Afghanistan. Among those attending will be U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke. But discussions are being overshadowed by growing allegations of fraud in the country's recent presidential and regional elections. More  Afghan Election Highlights School System Failures Attacks on polling stations housed in schools during the recent Afghan elections highlight the need for de-politicizing the education system. More  Radio Free Afghanistan Reporter Beaten By Police Radio Free Afghanistan's reporter in Kandahar was beaten by police as he was speaking with witnesses of a massive truck bombing in the center of the city. More  Partial Afghan Election Results Give Karzai Slim Lead After days of confusion and claims of outright victory by each of the top two contenders in the August 20 presidential elections, Afghan election authorities have announced the first partial results. With only 10 percent of the total votes counted, incumbent Hamid Karzai is in the lead with just over 40 percent of the tally. But his top rival, Abdullah Abdullah, is close behind, with nearly 39 percent. More  Did The Taliban Lose The Elections? Taliban threats and attacks appear to have succeeded in keeping turnout low in several provinces during Afghanistan's presidential and provincial-council elections on August 20. But as the dust settles and the vote-counting begins, some observers are arguing that people's participation in the election and the security effort that preceded it ultimately signify a Taliban setback. More  Top Candidates Both Claim Victory In Afghan Poll The front-runners in Afghanistan's presidential election, incumbent Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah, are both claiming victory based on their camps' early tallies of the August 20 vote. But election officials say no conclusions can be reached until official results are released. More |
