COMMENT: Dr. Abdullah Abdullah stayed and fought with his countrymen in Afghanistan 4 all 13 years... whilst Ahmadzai hightailed it 2 hide in the USA 4 all those years taking out American Citizenship... so much 4 freedom... if Dr. Abdullah does not win...

GOOD MORNING FREEDOM- KUBAL DREAMS

The song says: My voice, your voice, the voice of Afghanistan

We are on our own to destiny, we are on our way to peace.

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QUOTE: Abdullah, 53, whose mother was a Tajik, draws his support mainly from that ethnic group although his father was Pashtun. During the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, he served as adviser to and spokesman for Tajik warlord Ahmad Shah Massoud, who was assassinated by al-Qaida two days before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Later that year, Abdullah became the face of Afghanistan’s anti-Taliban movement after the U.S. toppled the Taliban government, giving frequent news conferences to international journalists. He served as foreign minister and then was the runner-up in Karzai’s disputed re-election in 2009.

His supporters praise him for staying in the country during the civil war and fighting the Taliban, as opposed to Ahmadzai who lived in exile and at one point even had U.S. citizenship, which he gave up for his own failed bid against Karzai five years ago.

“Abdullah was always among the Afghans inside Afghanistan,” said restaurant owner Mohammad Nahim, who cast his ballot in western Kabul. “Abdullah can bring peace and improve the economy.”
Afghanistan election

and...

june 24 just in.... so the Afghanistan traitor who runs and hides in USA is now the winner of the Afghanistan Election.... he who hitailed it 2 America and took American citizenship WHILST INNOCENT AFGHANS WERE SLAUGHTERED 4 OVER 13 YEARS THAT DR. ABULLAH ABDULLAH STAYED???? r u serious..... Dr. Abdullah who took over 45 % of the vote over all the candidates???? and the rigged 2nd election now makes the HIGHTAIL IT AND RUN COWARD... THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF AFGHANISTAN INSTEAD OF DR. ABDULLAH ABDULLAH WHO THE KIDS, WOMEN, YOUTH AND ELDERS LOVE...

ARTICLE:

Although the vote counting process is not yet completed, and audits for fraud still have to be done, many have claimed Ghani to be significantly farther ahead than his opponent. If that is the case, it would be a dramatic turn around from the first round, which concluded with Abdullah holding 45 percent of votes and Ghani only 31.6 percent. Ghani supporters have attributed the potential spike in support to higher turnout in friendly areas of the country as well as the candidate field shrinking from eight to two.
Political commentators and activists responded positively to the news of negotiations between Abdullah and the election commission on Tuesday. Afghanistan Democracy Watch head Zekirya Barakzai said the Afghan public was getting wary of the tensions between the two camps and resulting deadlock in the process.
"People are now tired of the tensions, they want a consensus to be made," Barakzai said. "Any institution that intends to mediate this issue could be effective if the two candidates agree on it."
On Monday, the Attorney General's office said that President Hamid Karzai has assigned a delegation to help resolve the election disputes and avoid a political crisis. However, it is unclear exactly the nature of the delegation's role will be, and whether or not it is a participant in the negotiations that began Monday night.

Tolo News-

june 24

Editorial: Illustrating capabilities amid challenges- Afghanistan

imageeee

Amid challenges, grave concerns and grim picture of the country, some of news are heart-soothing and make many people confident about the future of the country. Today there are two news from a single province that give two different pictures. It’s from northern Kunduz province. The one informs us that 24 schools have been reopened in Kunduz’s Dasht-e-Archi district. It’s really a major achievement in education sector. Educating one man is educating a tribe and dissuading a potential suicide bomber – a raw brain being used by militants in their war. Now imagine 24 schools and the children they could accommodate. The number could go to thousands. The second news is a bit sad. Security officials of the same province said Sunday that 34 polling sites have been viewed under militant threat. However, it is quite commendable that a cleanup operation would be launched to ensure security of these vulnerable sites. Moreover a squad of 10,000 commandoes has been formed to maintain security on the day of second round of polls. On April 05, when citizens swelled out before polling sites on that historic day amid chilly weather, security was maintained beyond one’s expectation. It’s been, however, envisaged that the runoff election will come under attack from militants, which is why there shouldn’t be any letup in security measures. Stringent security arrangements should be taken. This fact has been felt by security officials and the ministry of interior affairs. Omar Daudzai, the Interior Minister said Saturday there will be upsurge in militant attacks, but insurgents will find themselves failed in derailing the June 14 Presidential runoff race. People with militant inclination and ideological linking should be kept a close tab on. Intelligence services should be honed as during the first phase of the elections, our intelligence network did a wonderful job. Militants couldn’t spread fear among the enthusiastic voters and couldn’t carry out major terror attacks. For this the Taliban’s leaders based in Quetta were not only snubbed but punished by their Pakistani lords—intelligence officials. They were damn furious over the Taliban’s castration to carry out deadly attacks on April 05 to sabotage polls. It’s well-known under whose thumbs the Taliban are and for whom they have been killing their own Afghan brothers. Since the Taliban have failed in derailing the presidential and provincial council elections, they have in the doghouse with their bosses—Pakistan’s ISI officials. Given that our security mechanism improves more, the insurgents will remain in the dumps, and their lords befuddled. Now the insurgents are stewing in their own juice. However, it doesn’t mean our security officials think they have won the battle as it will be like counting the chickens before they are hatched. Besides that in taming militancy, education has been playing a pacific but influential role. It’s a silent revolution with a power like Pacific Ocean. Though, elections are few days away and security apparatus is busy in arrangements to keep the insurgents at bay, but still there is need for ramp up efforts to kneel on anti-education forces so our children could enlighten their future as well of the country with beacon of education.

As a preliminary step, local elders should be approached to garner their support and reopen the remaining closed schools and prevent anti-education elements from snatching pen and books from our children. Further, special committees including all stakeholders should be established at village and district levels to assess performance of the education department and chalk out reformative policies.

AND....

JUNE 23 2014- CANADA NEWS UPDATE

DR. ABDULLAH ABDULLAH- His supporters praise him for staying in the country during the civil war and fighting the Taliban, as opposed to Ahmadzai who lived in exile and at one point even had U.S. citizenship, which he gave up for his own failed bid against Karzai five years ago.

News
Afghanistan election: Voters brave Taliban threats to choose new president
Afghanistan National Army soldiers

Afghanistan National Army soldiers guard a street in Herat, west of Kabul, Afghanistan, on June 13, 2014. Photo: Hoshang Hashimi/The Associated Press

Published: June 14, 2014, 7:13 pm

KABUL, Afghanistan — Afghans braved threats of violence and searing heat Saturday to vote in a presidential run-off that likely will mark the country’s first peaceful transfer of authority, an important step toward democracy as foreign combat troops leave. The new leader will be challenged with trying to improve ties with the West and combating corruption while facing a powerful Taliban insurgency and declining international aid.

Abdullah Abdullah, who emerged as the front-runner with 45 per cent of the vote in the first round, faced Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, an ex-World Bank official and finance minister. Neither garnered the majority needed to win outright, but previous candidates and their supporters have since offered endorsements to each, making the final outcome unpredictable.

The two men differ more in personality than policy. Both promise to sign a long-delayed security pact with the United States, which Afghan President Hamid Karzai has rebuffed. That would allow nearly 10,000 American troops to remain in the country for two more years to conduct counterterrorism operations and continue training and advising the ill-prepared Afghan army and police. And both pledge to fight for peace and against corruption.

But their different ethnic backgrounds have highlighted the tribal fault lines in this country of 30 million ravaged by decades of war.

“I voted today for my future, because it is still not clear — the country is at war and corruption is everywhere and security is terrible. I want the next president to bring security above all and jobs,” said Marya Nazami, who voted for Ahmadzai.

The White House praised Afghan voters for their “courage and resolve” in the second round.

“These elections are a significant step forward on Afghanistan’s democratic path,” it said in a statement. “We look forward to working with the next government chosen by the Afghan people.”
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry praised Afghans for “laying the groundwork for the first democratic transition” in their country’s history.

“These brave Afghans from all walks of life again defied the threat of violence and went to the ballot box and voted because they want to set the course for a more inclusive, prosperous, and stable future,” Kerry said in a statement. He said it is essential that the process of tallying the votes, adjudicating completes and finalizing the results “be transparent and accountable.”
Afghanistan election

An Afghan woman shows her inked finger after casting her vote at a polling station in Bamiyan, Afghanistan, on June 14, 2014. Kamran Shefayee/The Associated Press

Observer groups said the balloting was relatively smooth, although both candidates and observers said they had evidence of fraud ranging from ballot box stuffing to proxy voting. Several polling stations also opened late or failed to open at all because of security concerns, and many voters complained of ballot shortages.

The Taliban intensified attacks ahead of voting and warned people to stay away from the polls, but the Islamic militants failed to disrupt the first round. They stepped up attacks again ahead of this round, including an assassination attempt that narrowly missed Abdullah just over a week ago.

Despite a series of rocket barrages and other scattered attacks that Interior Minister Mohammad Umar Daudzai said killed 47 people, including 20 civilians and an election commission worker, the voting was largely peaceful. Daudzai also said 60 militants were killed.

Independent Election Commission Chairman Ahmad Yousuf Nouristani, speaking at a joint press conference after polls closed, said initial estimates show that more than seven million Afghans voted, which would be equivalent to the first round on April 5. That would be a turnout of about 60 per cent of Afghanistan’s 12 million eligible voters.

Official preliminary results were to be announced on July 2, with final results released on July 22. Nouristani said his commission would release partial results in the coming weeks.

Many voters said they were eager to get the bilateral security agreement with the United States signed after seeing Islamic extremists seize large sections of Iraq in recent days, nearly three years after U.S. troops withdrew from that country. Iraq’s Shiite-led government had discussed the possibility of a residual U.S. force but the two sides were unable to reach an agreement.

“Iraq is burning,” said shopkeeper Abbas Razaye after voting in a mosque in western Kabul. “We need the foreign troops for the time being. Otherwise our history of civil war will repeat itself and Afghanistan will deteriorate even more than Iraq.”

Abdullah, 53, whose mother was a Tajik, draws his support mainly from that ethnic group although his father was Pashtun. During the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, he served as adviser to and spokesman for Tajik warlord Ahmad Shah Massoud, who was assassinated by al-Qaida two days before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Later that year, Abdullah became the face of Afghanistan’s anti-Taliban movement after the U.S. toppled the Taliban government, giving frequent news conferences to international journalists. He served as foreign minister and then was the runner-up in Karzai’s disputed re-election in 2009.

His supporters praise him for staying in the country during the civil war and fighting the Taliban, as opposed to Ahmadzai who lived in exile and at one point even had U.S. citizenship, which he gave up for his own failed bid against Karzai five years ago.

“Abdullah was always among the Afghans inside Afghanistan,” said restaurant owner Mohammad Nahim, who cast his ballot in western Kabul. “Abdullah can bring peace and improve the economy.”
Afghanistan election

Afghan women leave a polling station after casting their votes in Jalalabad, east of Kabul, Afghanistan, on June 14, 2014. Rahmat Gul/The Associated Press

Ahmadzai, a 64-year-old, U.S.-educated Pashtun, has gained the support of the country’s largest ethnic group, particularly in the Taliban heartland in southern Afghanistan.

“According to our will, Ashraf Ghani is the best candidate and the rightful leader of our country,” said Abdul Saboor Zamaria, who works for a non-governmental organization in the southern city of Kandahar. “If Abdullah Abdullah is made our leader, more mistrust and rage will spread in our country and violence will keep increasing day by day.”

Ahmadzai called on electoral officials to take the complaints seriously and investigate them.

“We will patiently wait for the final results of the election. Figures are on the way,” he said at a news conference. “But the nation has proved that it wants a change, and we are the team for change.”
Abdullah expressed concern about the independence of the electoral commissions, which were appointed by Karzai, and called on them to act fairly, saying the legitimacy of the future government depends on it.

“We are in a good position. I can say we are in a very good position, and it’s up to the two commissions to make the announcement.”
Karzai, who has led the country since the U.S. invasion and was constitutionally barred from seeking a third term, cast his ballot at a high school near the presidential palace. Many analysts say his decision to step down peacefully will be one of the major successes of his otherwise troubled legacy.

“Today your vote will lead Afghanistan toward a better future, better government and a better life,” he said to his countrymen. “Afghanistan is taking another step forward in a transition toward security, progress and stability.”

http://o.canada.com/news/world/afghan-voters-brave-taliban-threats-to-choose-new-president

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blogged:

BLOGGED
CANADA MILITARY NEWS JUNE 23, 2014-Afghanistan-1960s remember- HEADS UP -Pakistani Rebels and Suicide Attackers slither in2 our Afghanistan -Hey Canada n USA etc. Wld u die 2 vote 4 ur countries like r Afghans? - AFGHANS BRING PRIDE 2 NATO TROOPS AND AFGHAN TROOPS AND POLICING APRIL 5, 2014- they are rising up and defiant and proud showing the world how 2 be free at last- no taliban gonna take their world no more... no way- Whilst UN, EU,USA, Canada politicians hijack our world and turn humanity in2 ashes-Ukraine4oil.... Afghanistan rises us up/DAILY UPDATES AFGHANISTAN- Kabul Dreams -Good Morning Freedom

http://nova0000scotia.blogspot.ca/2014/03/usa-and-europe-and-un-have-hijacked.html

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CANADA MILITARY NEWS: Afghanistan June 24- Obama and UN blatantly IGNORE THE HORRENDOUS FRAUD BY KARZAI- once again on 2nd election count- THEY CAN'T STAND HONEST DR. ABDULLAH ABDULLAH WHOM THE EVERYDAY PEOPLE LOVE- check it out folks.... Obama and UN and Karzai hijack and ruin the beautiful Afghanistan Election and favoured Dr. Abdullah- U BETRAY OUR BEAUTIFUL TROOPS... u disgrace us all

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JUne 22- JUST IN..... Dr. Abdullah Abdullah is the rightful winner and the world and everyday Afghans know this... and will NOT tolerate any less..... 13 years later- our Afghans and troops deserve honesty, dignity and the legitimate heir- who won over 45% of the vote which is incredible with over 17 Afghans running... COME ON... THE WORLD IS WATCHING....

UN Prepared to Help in Election Process

Posted June 21, 2014

Nicholas Haysom, deputy special representative of the secretary-general for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), said at a press conference on Saturday that in order to solve the current problems faced in the election process UNAMA will provide...

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JULY 21- JUST IN.... OBAMA-UN BETRAY AFGHANISTAN- DR. ABDULLAH AND THE PEOPLE ONCE AGAIN WITH DELIBERATE FRAUD IN 2ND VOTE- they find Abdullah Abdullah 2HONEST...

THE SAME OLD HORSEHEEEET...... USA AND UNITED NATIONS ARE BETRAYING AFGHANISTAN AND DR. ABDULLAH AND THE YOUTH AGAIN...

President Karzai is the One to Blame

Foreign Policy Saturday 21st June, 2014

President Karzai is the One to Blame

BY Ioannis Koskinas
JUNE 20, 2014

Current Afghan President Hamid Karzai is the architect behind the fraudulent 2014 presidential election and the volatile situation that is bringing Afghanistan to the edge of civil war. Yet, the Obama administration continues to allow him to preside over what has become a blatantly flawed election. More specifically, it is irresponsibly failing to address the fraud issues properly. Instead of criticizing former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah for boycotting a criminal enterprise that has rigged the election beyond repair, the United States should focus its discontent on Karzai and hold him and his network accountable. This is especially important since the crisis in Afghanistan today has more to do with Karzai's behavior over the past five years and the West's unwillingness to hold him accountable than Abdullah's choice concerning the Independent Election Commission's (IEC's) ballot counting.

From the start, the Obama-Karzai relationship has been rocky. During his run for the U.S. presidency, then-Sen. Obama considered the U.S. mission in Afghanistan a priority. As president, he committed additional forces and an enormous financial aid package to the country to salvage the flailing endeavor. Although the relationship between the two leaders would deteriorate steadily over the next five next years, Karzai always seemed to be a step ahead of his U.S. counterpart. Unfortunately, instead of holding Karzai to account for these foolish games, Obama's actions may end up inadvertently punishing the Afghan people.

For instance, during the last Afghan election in 2009, Sarah Chayes, a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, wrote in the Los Angeles Times that Karzai "brazenly stole a presidential election that was largely paid for and secured by the United States, counterfeiting at least one-third of his ballots." During the ensuing turmoil, then-Sen. John Kerry was dispatched to salvage the ‘relationship' with Karzai. But, according to Chayes, instead of helping the situation, Kerry was "reinforcing a pattern." Karzai was able to rewrite the narrative, "making America the villain, railing against its ‘interference' in the election." She argues correctly that Karzai's game worked and no one countered him.

Only a few months later, when Obama addressed the Afghan government's rampant corruption during his March 2010 visit to Kabul, "Karzai went ballistic, storming out of rooms and theatrically threatening to join the Taliban himself," according to Chayes. Yet instead of holding Karzai to account for both the corruption that fueled the insurgency and his childish behavior, Obama tried to mend the fences during Karzai's state visit to Washington.

During the ‘surge' in Afghanistan, thousands of Afghan and coalition soldiers lost their lives trying to curb the Taliban's advances and give the Afghan state the breathing space needed to grow its indigenous security force and governance capacity. At the same time, the U.S. administration never challenged Karzai's references to the Taliban as the "upset brothers," his vitriolic outbursts against coalition operations, and his vilification of those within his own administration who challenged his endearment towards the Taliban.

Then, in November 2013, after Karzai refused to sign the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA), after the Loya Jirga (tribal gathering) -- called by Karzai himself -- endorsed the security pact, the United States threatened to withdraw all of its forces by December 2014. Although both leading Afghan presidential candidates -- Abdullah and former finance minister Ashraf Ghani -- agreed to sign the BSA within days of becoming president, Karzai's behavior had once again significantly damaged the Afghan-U.S. relationship. In fact, Obama announced in May that U.S. forces will remain in Afghanistan only until the end of 2016. Perhaps Obama always intended to have the end of the war coincide with the end of his second term, but there is little doubt that Karzai's antics have made most Americans turn against U.S. involvement in Afghanistan.

The most recent Afghan presidential elections offer yet another example of how Karzai continues to gamble the future of Afghanistan and its people for personal gain with little to no concern of the consequences for the average Afghan. Having hand-picked loyal supporters in key positions and having had a helping hand in the creation of a number of presidential teams, Karzai was set to influence the elections from the start. For years, he has been putting mechanisms in place to ensure he would have an ample supply of cards up his sleeve.

In 2010, for instance, the Guardian's Jon Boone noted that while the Afghan parliament was in recess, Karzai "unilaterally took control of the country's top electoral watchdog" -- the Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) -- in an effort to "Afghanise" it. A Western diplomat told Boone at the time that Karzai "had given ‘two fingers' to the western donors who had pumped millions of dollars into establishing democratic elections in the country...using his power to make laws while parliament was not sitting in order to get rid of the three U.N.-appointed foreigners who had dominated the five-member ECC."

Although it would be unfair to characterize the attacks on Westerners that occurred prior to the first-round vote in April as advantageous to Karzai, the fact that these attacks forced most foreign election monitors out of the country certainly ensured that the Afghan monitoring commissions were the only ones left to ensure the legitimacy and impartiality of the election. For its part, the international community has known about the troubles brewing with the staffing and leadership of the IEC, but did not do much to mitigate the high risk of fraudulent elections when it could. For example, it was widely known months ahead of the elections that an estimated 19 million voter registration cards were in circulation, even though there were only 13 million registered voters.

Ahmad Yousuf Nuristani, the IEC chairman and a longtime Karzai confidant and supporter, downplayed these challenges prior to the election. And his recent decision to not hold his deputy, Zia Ul-Haq Amarkhail, to account for allegations of fraud -- at least in Abdullah's view -- indicate that the IEC is not only taking sides, but that it is unable to perform its function as intended by the Afghan Constitution and Electoral Law.

As a result, on Saturday, June 21, the Afghan people will take their outrage over the elections to the streets with the start of massive demonstrations. A spark can easily ignite what amounts to an incredibly volatile situation, no matter how much Abdullah's team wants these events to remain civil and non-violent. Rumors of a possible release of the first tranche of the election results may in fact provide this spark.

Over time, history will reveal the reasons why Karzai has helped shape the presidential tickets in a way that fuels ethnic fears and strife. For now, although resolving the crisis over electoral fraud should take immediate priority, the international community should eventually investigate allegations of Karzai's misuse of the Afghan state apparatus and his office to set the conditions in which he either remains king or becomes the kingmaker. In the end, even if the coalition doesn't hold Karzai accountable for his actions soon, the Afghan people and history eventually will.

Unfortunately, the tinder in Afghanistan is dry and doused with lighter fluid; all that is needed is a match and the country can ignite in, at best, sectarian violence; at worst, civil war. The U.S. and U.K. embassies, as well as the U.N. mission, continue to focus on process over substance by urging both Abdullah and Ghani use the IEC and ECC to resolve their challenges and complaints. This approach defies logic as the international community is choosing not to get involved and investigate such powerful allegations with immense implications, advocating, instead, trust in the electoral process of a country that is tied with North Korea and Somalia for corruption. At least they remain consistent in failing to address the biggest issue of this election.

Ironically, much like after the 2003 invasion of Iraq, most of the media attention today has shifted from Afghanistan to covering the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, a terrorist organization that is controlling a large part of Iraq's territory. Obama's decision to deploy 300 U.S. Special Operations advisors to assist the Iraqi military is receiving primetime coverage while the political crisis in Afghanistan barely merits a mention. This irony is amplified by the fact that Obama is hinting that massive sectarian violence can be arrested in Iraq if Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki steps down, yet he remains content to watch from the sidelines in Afghanistan, where Karzai is pushing the country closer to the edge of civil war.

While there is still time for the international community to avert a catastrophe in Afghanistan, that time is quickly running out.

Ioannis Koskinas was a military officer for over twenty years and now focuses on economic development projects in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

SHAH MARAI/AFP/Getty Images http://southasia.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2014/06/20/president_karzai_is_the_one_to_blame

http://southasia.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2014/06/20/president_karzai_is_the_one_to_blame

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JUNE 21ST- JUST IN.... GOD TRULY LOVES OUR AFGHANISTAN- and our Dr. Abdullah Abdullah and the everyday people of Afghanistan and beloved Afghan troops and cops... Praise God

Takhar ECC Head Resigns

Friday, 20 June 2014 18:51 Last Updated on Saturday, 21 June 2014 17:29 Written by Mujib Mehrdad

The head of Takhar province's Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC), Barna Salehi, resigned from his post on Friday morning because of supposed interference by the government and the Independent Election Commission's (IEC) in his office's affairs.

"IEC is much more biased in the second round of the elections," Salehi said. "We did not think that their interference would have had such major impacts on the elections, but it did."

The IEC has rejected Salehi's allegations.

"Takhar's ECC is an independent organization," IEC Spokesman, Noor Mohammad Noor, said. "We do not have any interest in interfering in their affairs.

The two organizations have an agreement to act on friendly and cooperative basis."

This comes as presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah confirmed his stance on cutting ties with both electoral commissions at a press conference on Thursday. Dr. Abdullah stated that both electoral commissions have failed to be impartial in the election process.

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JUNE 21ST- UPDATE.... Sweet Jesus, Mother Mary and Joseph:

DR. ABDULLAH ABDULLAH’S ELECTION IN AFGHANISTAN IS BEING HIJACKED- youth, kids, women and elders everyday people of Afghanistan love this Nelson Mandela of Afghanistan- it’s just not right- UN INTERFERED IN 2009 AND CHEATED 4 KARZAI... now doing it again...

Supporters of presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah burn a picture of Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission director Ziaulhaq Amarkhil during a protest in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, June 21, 2014. Former Foreign Minister Abdullah, who is running against Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, a former finance minister, has accused electoral officials and others of trying to rig the June 14 vote against him. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/photos/supporters-presidential-candidate-abdullah-abdullah-burn-picture-afghanistans-photo-125817989.html

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(take that 4 what it worth- now if Pakistan would just stop sending their terrorists over Afghan borders 2 kill our beloved Afghans...imho

Pakistan congratulates Afghanistan on successful election runoff
06-15 19:23

Pakistan has congratulated Afghanistan on the successful holding of the second round of Presidential election on Saturday, saying Afghans have once again demonstrated a firm resolve to determine their future through democratic means.

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Afghan Protests Erupt Amid Allegations Of Widespread Fraud

Supporters of presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah protest to demand the halt of vote counting in Kabul.

Afghan Presidential Transition In Crisis Amid Election Fraud Allegations

It might be just days after the runoff election in Afghanistan, but already allegations of massive fraud are threatening the country's first democratic transition of power.

Afghan Election: Doubts Cast On High Turnout

TEXT SIZE

By Frud Bezhan

June 20, 2014

KABUL -- As allegations of fraud in Afghanistan's runoff election pile up, protest movements have mobilized against what they see as systematic vote-rigging.

Two groups have taken the lead in protesting the June 14 presidential vote, holding separate demonstrations and sit-ins in several locations around Kabul. In various events that began on June 20, each has said it would not accept the results of the election and demanded an investigation into the actions of the country’s electoral bodies, which they accuse of engaging in electoral fraud.

The demands mirror those made by presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah, who has said the election process is no longer "legitimate." Abdullah has accused the Independent Election Commission (IEC) and Afghan President Hamid Karzai of orchestrating the election to favor his rival, Ashraf Ghani. Abdullah has also warned that any looming "crisis" is out of his hands.

The developments come amid unofficial returns that indicate that Ghani is poised to pull off an unexpected upset and win the election by as many as 1 million votes.

Anti-Fraud Movement

The protest groups say their demonstrations could turn to violence if their demands are not met. They have each pledged to mobilize tens of thousands of people in Kabul in the coming days in a show of force.

The Anti-Fraud Movement is one of two major groups that have taken to the streets to express their grievances. The movement, made up mainly of youths, has organized a peaceful sit-in Khare Khana, a predominately Tajik neighborhood in Kabul. Abdullah, who is half Tajik, has considerable support among Tajiks.

"Death to fraud. Death to those who have committed fraud!" These are among the slogans blaring through loudspeakers to a crowd of several hundred protesters assembled at the site on June 20. The group, which has already set up a dozen tents, says it is not affiliated with either of the candidates, although the majority who spoke to RFE/RL said they had voted for Abdullah.

Abdullah Khudadat, one of the organizers of the Anti-Fraud Movement

"We want those ballots that are fraudulent and as a result of ballot-stuffing to be separated from the real votes cast by the people," says Zabi Mehdi, a member of the Anti-Fraud Movement. "For us, it doesn’t matter from which camp the fraudulent ballots come from. We want them all of fraudulent votes thrown out."

Mehdi predicts the movement will mobilize around 50,000 people for a mass protest on June 21.

“Our intention is to stand up against fraud committed during the election,” says Abdullah Khudadat, one of the organizers. “There is a lot of evidence that the IEC and the president were involved in fraud. We will not accept an election that has resulted from fraud.”

Many of the group's members wear red scarves in a symbolic show of solidarity. Khudadat says the electoral bodies and the government have crossed a "red line" by being involved in fraud. Khudadat also says the red refers to the blood they are willing to shed to fight for their cause.

Although the protests have so far been peaceful, many members say they will resort to violence if their demands are not fulfilled, although they say this is only a last option.

Ethnic Tensions

Ethnic friction is also a concern, as Abdullah -- who is half Tajik, half Pashtun -- has strong support among the Tajik community. Ghani is Pashtun, the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan.

Abdullah’s supporters have made provocative remarks in the past week, threatening violence if their demands were not met.

In Focus: Afghan Election Blog

Atta Mohammad Noor, the powerful governor of Balkh Province and supporter of Abdullah, posted a photo on Facebook on June 18. The photo depicted tanks making their way toward the front line during the jihad against the Soviet occupation in the 1980s. The accompanying text read: "To become president, Ashraf Ghani has to cross this border. Passing this border is impossible. A second generation of jihad is coming."

Meanwhile, Amrullah Saleh, the country’s former spy chief and Abdullah supporter, said during an address in Kabul on June 19 that "resistance" needs to be waged against fraud.
WATCH: Amrullah Saleh's address

Saleh’s National Movement, Besij-e-Melli in Dari, has also organized a sit-in protest for the past two days in Kabul. The grassroots political movement, which has adopted the color green, was inspired by the Arab Spring and Iran's opposition Green Movement. It first emerged on the scene in 2011.

The Anti-Fraud Movement and the National Movement say they are not affiliated and say they will not join hands, at least for now.

The National Movement is hoping to organize its own mass protest on June 21.

One of the National Movement's chief demands is the immediate suspension of the IEC’s chief electoral officer, Ziaulhaq Amarkhil, who is being investigated for possible ballot-stuffing. Amarkhil was arrested by Kabul's police chief, General Zahir, on June 14 when he apparently left the IEC headquarters with several cars full of ballot papers.

"Some of our brothers have armed themselves because they are angry," says Hasib Reyazi, a member of the National Movement. “This is not only our voice but the voices of people from Kandahar, Paktia, and Khost Provinces. The whole country is voicing our concerns."

http://www.rferl.org/content/afghan-protests-erupt-amid-allegations-of-widespread-fraud/25429732.html

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HERE WE GO AGAIN- KARZI AND UN CHEATING AGAIN.... everybody knows that the everyday people of Afghanistan- especially the youth, kids, women and elders love Dr. Abdullah Abdullah who won't kiss anybody's arse..... and the people and troops come first ...always...

Karzai calls on UN to help solve Afghan election crisis

· POSTED: 20 Jun 2014 22:45

· UPDATED: 21 Jun 2014 01:24

Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Friday intervened for the first time in the country's growing election crisis, backing a call for the United Nations to help solve a standoff over alleged fraud.

KABUL: Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Friday intervened for the first time in the country's growing election crisis, backing a call for the United Nations to help solve a standoff over alleged fraud.

Abdullah Abdullah, previously seen as the front-runner to succeed Karzai, has asked the UN to step in and has vowed to reject the result due out next month because of "blatant" fraud committed in the vote a week ago.

The dispute has thrown the country's first democratic transfer of power into turmoil to the dismay of international backers looking for a concrete sign of progress after 13 years of costly military and civilian assistance.

Karzai appeared keen to lower tension ahead of demonstrations planned on Saturday by Abdullah's supporters after the ongoing vote count reportedly put Abdullah well behind poll rival Ashraf Ghani.

The proposed rallies raised fears of clashes with security forces at a sensitive time for Afghanistan as NATO combat troops withdraw.

"I not only accept this proposal (for UN mediation), but I see it as positive step to ending these problems," Karzai said in a statement.

"The disputes and doubts arising during the election process are a natural thing," he added.

"It is fine and calm in the country."

The UN responded rapidly, saying it noted comments about a potential UN role.

"We stand ready to help facilitate an Afghan-led process... but we will need to hear more details about any proposal," a spokesman told AFP.

The 2009 election, when Karzai retained power, was mired in massive fraud, shaking the US-led international effort to develop Afghanistan after the Islamist rule of the Taliban.

Abdullah pulled out of that election before a run-off vote against Karzai, saying that systematic fraud made it impossible for him to win -- but he has repeatedly said he will not step aside again.

- Instability as NATO exits? -

Abdullah alleged that the turnout figure of seven million in the run-off was exaggerated and that in several provinces there were more votes than eligible voters.

He accused Ghani, the election authorities and Karzai of all being involved in fraud against him.

A smooth election was seen as a key benchmark for the US-led coalition that has fought against Taliban insurgents and donated billions of dollars in aid since 2001.

But NATO military operations are winding down fast, and the dispute could wreck claims that a functioning state has been set up in place of the ousted Taliban regime which sheltered Osama bin Laden.

The election dispute also risks spilling into ethnic violence -- a grim prospect for Afghanistan where tribal loyalties are still fierce after the 1992-1996 civil war.

Abdullah's support is based among the Tajik minority and other northern tribes, while Ghani is a Pashtun -- Afghanistan's largest ethnic group, which is strongest in the Taliban heartlands of the south and east.

Both Abdullah, a former anti-Taliban resistance fighter, and Ghani, an ex-World Bank executive, have pledged to foster national unity.

The run-off vote was held after the two came first and second in an eight-man election on April 5, when Abdullah was far ahead with 45 percent against Ghani's 31.6 percent.

Karzai had previously stayed out of the election process -- in public at least -- and he has not endorsed any candidate to take over when he steps down after serving the maximum two terms in office.

As well as backing UN mediation, Karzai on Friday said negotiations between the poll rivals could be overseen by the two vice-presidents.

"Now it is up to the candidates to choose one of these two options and the government to respect their choice and encourage them," he said.

The preliminary election result is due on July 2 and the final result, after adjudication of complaints, is scheduled for July 22.

In the latest violence, a Taliban attack killed three NATO soldiers and a military dog in the southern province of Helmand on Friday.

- AFP/ms/ec

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/karzai-calls-on-un-to/1183836.html

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KABUL DREAMS- GOOD MORNING FREEDOM

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AFGHANISTAN YOUTH, WOMEN AND ELDERS HONOUR NATO TROOPS AND AFGHAN’S –Kabul Dreams Band- Good Morning Freedom- April… http://wp.me/p3FHE3-f3

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an honour.... as Afghanistan was once part of : Congratulations

Silk Road successfully listed as UNESCO World Cultural Heritage

CCTV.com
06-21-2014 14:42 BJT

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Part of the millennium-old trade route, the Silk Road has been successfully included into the UNESCO World Heritage list at the 38th session of the World Heritage Committee in Doha. The application was jointly submitted by China, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. It is the first time China has cooperated with foreign countries for a World Heritage nomination.

Silk Road successfully listed as UNESCO World Cultural Heritage

Once treaded by camel-driving merchants carrying silk, porcelain and spice, the 2000-year-old Silk Road was an important corridor for trade and cultural exchanges between Asia and Europe.

It fell into disuse in the age of sailing in the 16th century.

China, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan formally launched the project to apply for adding the initial section of the Silk Road and the routes network of the Tian-shan Corridor onto the World Heritage list.

The section is about 5000 kilometres long. It consists of 33 historical sites along the route, including 22 in China, 8 in Kazakhstan and three in Kyrgyzstan. They range from palaces and pagodas in cities to ruins in remote, inaccessible deserts.

"The purpose of including the Silk Road onto the World Heritage list is to let people remember it and protect it. The silk road is a road for exchanges. It is a road of friendship. It promoted the cultural development of mankind," said Chinese Academy of Social Sciences archaeologist Liu Qingzhu.

Silk Road successfully listed as UNESCO World Cultural Heritage

It is the first silk road heritage in the world.

The International Council on Monuments and Sites said in its evaluation report that it is an important milestone as three nations jointly applied for the nomination. It is also the result of 7 years of effort made by the three countries and will lay a foundation for future such applications.

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Silk Road successfully listed as UNESCO World Cultural Heritage

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