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Afghans went to the polls in August to vote for president and members of provincial councils. The main challenger of the incumbent, Hamid Karzai was former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah (pictured). The poll has been beset by serious fraud allegations and the UN-backed election complaints commission order a partial recount of the vote. Marco Werman talks with Dr. Abdullah about democracy in Afghanistan.
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MARCO WERMAN: I’m Marco Werman. This is The World. The Taliban have claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing this morning in Kabul, Afghanistan. The blast outside the Indian Embassy killed at least 17 people. The bombing put the government of President Hamid Karzai on the defensive from a security standpoint. Karzai is already on the ropes politically. He’s battling allegations of vote fraud that marred the presidential election there in August. A partial recount is still in progress. Karzai’s main opponent in that election was Abdullah Abdullah. We spoke to him from Kabul. Abdullah says he still has faith in the election process.
ABDULLAH ABDULLAH: I think from what we have seen even in the past four days when the process of audit and recount has started. It’s absolutely impossible to announce Mr. Karzai as the winner without ignoring the fraud. So I think that the eventuality of a runoff is much more than that possibility. And I hope that fraud is not ignored.
WERMAN: Do you think President Karzai has changed or has the west perception of him changed?
ABDULLAH: I think the perception might have been different at the beginning of him as a person which believes in the principle and values of democracy and as far as the Afghans are concerned national unity and the rights of citizens and so on so forth and a clean person that was the perception. But later on the record is quite different and that is a sad reality unfortunately.
WERMAN: As you know 17 civilians died in a bombing in Kabul today and Americans are listening to you Dr. Abdullah. Parents of soldiers are listening. And eight years on from 9/11 can you explain to American parents, and European parents for that matter, the reason why their children should risk their lives in your country.
ABDULLAH: Yes unfortunately today this happened in Kabul in just like a kilometer from where I am speaking to you. The Afghans and the Americans are fighting the same enemy who inflicted the tragedies of 9/11 upon the people of the United States and many more tragedies here. And so what’s the future? If Afghanistan has to be a land where its people live at peace with each other and with the rest of the world we have to work together – Afghans and Americans – in the true spirit of partnership in order to save Afghanistan so Afghanistan is a safe place for its own citizens and also it’s not a source of threat for the rest of the world including the United States. Because you know that in this region terrorism and extremism had established its roots in the past decades, two decades. But eight years down the road we should have been in a much better situation than where we are today. That is disappointing – that we are still talking about more troops, more casualties in Afghanistan.
WERMAN: But if the US decides it’s going to fight a different war now – that it’s going to fight al-Qaeda and not the Taliban?
ABDULLAH: I think al-Qaeda and the Taliban they are so mixed up. They are helping one another and they’re part of the same strategy. You cannot distinguish between the two.
WERMAN: But there are al-Qaeda fighters all over the world right now – North Africa, Somalia – and maybe the emphasis will be less on Afghanistan, your country.
ABDULLAH: No I think the basis and the main stronghold is in the areas bordering Afghanistan and Pakistan. There is no doubt about that. It’s from these areas that al-Qaeda rules and controls its networks throughout the world. And I think the focus on Afghanistan and the renewed commitment by the democratic administration is the right strategy if I may say so. But how to make sure that with this commitment comes betterment of the situation in lessening of that threat. I think that’s what I call working between the United States, Afghanistan, and Pakistan as well. It’s I think for the three countries to work together in order to deal with this good hope that by dealing with this challenge here we have lesser and lesser problems elsewhere around the world.
WERMAN: So would you support a surge of American troops in Afghanistan? I mean what should the American role be there right now?
ABDULLAH: No I think when General McChrystal, the commander of the American forces in Afghanistan, asked for more troops. He needs it and we need it. And hopefully this surge will help stabilize the situation parallel to another effort which is to strengthen institutions so the Afghan institutions, the Afghan National Army, will assume its responsibilities or take more responsibility in the upcoming times.
WERMAN: Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, candidate for president of Afghanistan, awaiting like the rest of the world the results of the August election from the electoral complaints commission there. Thank you very much for speaking with us.
ABDULLAH: You’re welcome.
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