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| Afghanistan |
| NATO says 4,000 extra troops needed for Afghan poll |
| 2009-03-19 |
| KABUL – NATO’s secretary-general said 4,000 more soldiers were needed to secure Afghanistan’s presidential election in August and to make sure the vote was credible and fair. NATO chief Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said he wanted four more battalions in place for the August 20 election. A NATO battalion is just under 1,000 troops. There are around 70,000 foreign soldiers now in Afghanistan. The election is seen as the key test of progress in Afghanistan and the success or failure of the polls, diplomats say, will override any other events this year. At an earlier news conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, de Hoop Scheffer said 2009 would be vital for Afghanistan and emphasized the importance of holding a fair election. ‘Of course, these elections in a certain way ... will be a challenge, but we are there to meet this challenge,’ the NATO chief said. ‘Every Afghan citizen should have the right where he or she lives, to go to the polls. If you say free, fair and credible, free means of course, free to vote for whoever you would like to vote for.’ According to the constitution, the election is to be held in spring but the date was postponed until August due to the Afghan winter and to give foreign troops enough time to ensure security. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #2 The Afghanistanis have enough problems holding an election without the "help" of ACORN. After several months of careful consideration, I've finally deciphered what "ACORN" stands for - A Cadre Of Red Nutjobs. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2009-03-19 03:00 |
| #1 Hell, if all they want to do is |
| Posted by: M. Murcek 2009-03-19 00:18 |