Karzai: What fraud?

Afghan President Hamid Karzai denied claims that up to a quarter of votes cast in the recent Afghan Presidential election were fraudulent, and told the world that any fraud perpetrated during the election “wasn’t that big.”  According to the latest count, Karzai is set to win the election in the first round of voting with 54.6% of the vote. A recommended recount of 10% of the vote may delay the inevitable by forcing a runoff between Karzai and his main rival, Abdullah "Can I get another Abdullah?" Abdullah. 

Karzai’s claim that fraud was not a major factor appears to be as unbelievable as some of the items in his wardrobe. Peter Galbraith, a US representative to the UN in Afghanistan, has already shown his displeasure at widespread acceptance of the sketchy vote by resigning. According to NPR, Norwegian Kai Eide, the leader of the UN delegation in Afghanistan and Galbraith’s boss, prefers a more tacit approach to addressing the fraud issue.

The quiet approach is preferable, says Karzai supporters, because a full investigation and a second round of voting could mean holding elections during the unforgiving Afghan winter, the onset of which will come soon for many parts of Afghanistan. Such poor seasonal planning raises a few questions. Why was the vote scheduled to take place at the end of the summer if there was even a remote possibility of having a run-off election?

White House to shelve European missile defense

President Obama and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announced that the US has abandoned plans to build a missile defense system in the Czech Republic and Poland. While the Bush administration claimed that such a system was vital for stopping any nuclear weapons that Iran may or may not be trying to acquire, it was abhorred by the Russians, who saw it as an affront to their national security. Russian President Dmitri Medvedev even said that the Russian military would “electronically jam” any such system. Instead, the US will look to build up a mobile missile defense system, built upon American naval vessels.

Would it still fail spectacularly if the Russians were to launch dozens of warheads simultaneously? Well, at least they wouldn’t be doing it out of a deep seated fear of foreign invasion, says Christopher Hellman, director of research at the National Priorities Project. “Once you're out in international waters, there is not a lot anyone can say about it,” he told the Christian Science Monitor. 

True enough, Chris! Now we just need to have a US-Russia monkey knife fight to celebrate this new era of détente. 

Que pasa, Sud America?

Did I just say era of détente? Don’t tell South America. 

There are fears that tensions between certain South American neighbors are becoming muy piquante amidst a continent-wide military build-up. The US has angered many down south over its proposed military cooperation with Colombia, and anxieties in Washington and Bogota have increased over Russian arms sales to Venezuela. Meanwhile, according to the BBC, Brazil is updating its arsenal, and even Chile and Peru and Bolivia and Paraguay are said to be chirping at one another. Although war is far from inevitable, the increase in military expenditures certainly raises a fear or two that tensions could boil over.

Oh, Mr. President. If only you had been friendlier with Hugo Chavez and skimmed through that "America-is-imperialist" Galeano book that he gave you. Of course, Michelle Bachmann, Glenn Beck and Bill “I can’t read it” O’Reilly would’ve been up in arms. It’s a book.

Afghan army growing pains

Speaking of illiteracy, it’s a huge problem in Afghanistan. According to the AP, 90% of soldiers in the Afghan army are illiterate, which can be quite an obstacle to operational success if you can’t read maps, street signs, or tell whether or not the safety on your rifle is on. The news isn’t all bad for Afghanistan’s finest, however. Polls indicate that Afghanistan’s army is the most trusted of institutions in the country.

Some of those who have been hired by the Pentagon to protect Afghanistan, however, have been deemed much less trustworthy. The Commission on Wartime Contracting has said that the State Department should sever ties with ArmorGroup, a private military contractor that is guarding the US embassy in Kabul. ArmorGroup has been censured by the State Department many times, with their latest scandal involving drunken revelry and lascivious behavior at the embassy itself. Despite these obvious shortcomings, the State Department has decided to extend ArmorGroup’s contract.

Meanwhile, The Guardian is reporting that NATO forces have been using “illegal militias” for standard operations and “black ops.” These militias, apparently, are well versed in drug trafficking and abusing human rights. No wonder NATO commanders have been calling for more troop increases.

Hil to Iran: Let’s not beat around the bush

Talks about having talks about having talks with Iran have been moving forward, though Hilary Clinton is only prepared to take Iranian diplomats seriously if they are willing to discuss Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. Preliminary discussions between the US and Iran are to be held on October 1, with a possible multi-state summit to follow in Istanbul, if the party goes well. 

For the love of God, Biden, leave the guitar at home. Holbrooke is bringing his iPod. 

Move over, Fertile Crescent, there’s a new hotspot in the Middle East

American concerns in the Middle East may soon increasingly creep southward, as countries around the Gulf of Aden struggle to maintain stability.

Violence in Somalia was on the rise this week, after four Al-Shabab suicide bombers detonated explosives at an African Union base on Thursday, killing twelve peacekeepers and themselves. The militants claimed that the attacks were in retaliation for the US-led killing of Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan, who, despite the cool name, was believed to be a prominent member of al-Qaeda.

Across the Gulf of Aden, Yemen, too, is descending into chaos. An attack by government forces on a refugee camp killed 80 people, mainly women, children and the elderly. The Yemeni government claimed that it was intending to target Houthis – Shia rebels – who were believed to be hiding amongst the refugees. Yikes. 

Pot to kettle: black isn’t working for you

World Bank boss Robert Zoellick told G-20 countries to practice “responsible globalization” this week. Zoellick said that richer countries had an obligation to help poorer countries make it through the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

Developing countries, however, should not hold their collective breath: what the World Bank says in public can be quite different from how it acts behind closed doors. Erstwhile chief economist of the World Bank and Obama darling Larry Summers (now director of the President’s National Economic Council) once sent a memo out to other World Bank employees while there that couldn’t exactly be described as in line with promoting “responsible globalization.” The message? Poor countries should be the world’s dumping grounds. Ever heard anyone use the term “under-polluted” before?

Israel, Hamas finally agree on something

And finally, in an unprecedented move, the Israeli Defense Forces and the militant group Hamas actually came to an agreement. Unfortunately, what they agreed upon, sort of, was criticism of a UN report that condemned both sides for war crimes in early 2009. How dare the dastardly diplomats at the UN try to humanize the other side!