Afghanistan-Mission unaccomplished

[AlCzervik]

Tuesday October 19, 6:54 AM
Bush triumphalism masks mission unaccomplished in Afghanistan: analysts
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AFP Photo

Three years after the US-led invasion, Afghanistan is flooding the world with heroin, warlords reign in the provinces, women are scared and the new security forces are underarmed and undersized, analysts say.

But as he bids for re-election, US President George W. Bush is trumpeting Afghanistan's own recent presidential polls as a symbol of success in nation-building.

His Democrat challenger John Kerry meanwhile makes the diversion of resources from Afghanistan to Iraq and the failure to nail Osama bin Laden three years ago key planks of his attack.

Bush's vision of success in Afghanistan since US forces helped overthrow the ultra-Islamic Taliban in late 2001 is rose-tinted, the analysts say. But Kerry's criticism may be over-simplistic, they add.

"Bush has painted a rosier picture than exists on the ground... and expressed success prematurely," said Vikram Parekh, Afghan affairs analyst for the International Crisis Group.

"When Bush presents Afghanistan as a country which has made great strides towards democracy, those claims lack credibility," Riffat Hussein, head of strategic studies at Pakistan's Quaid-e-Azam University, told AFP.
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/041016/1/3nsy6.html

[pfitz59]

1. US-installed puppet Karzai wins!

Naturally! I'm sure the world is underwhelmed.

[ilovenicepeople]

2. I keep hearing about the "ousting" of the Taliban.

I guess "ousting" means :to shave off your beards and pretend to disappear.:dunce: