In today's local and international news: end of campaign period tonight; anti-US protest in Kabul; bomb attack in Herat; the perils of being a woman candidate; ballot problems in Nuristan; security concerns in Kunduz but none, say security chiefs, in Paktia.
In today’s news: Staffan de Mistura acknowledges elections “are not going to be perfect” but suggests they will be “much better than the previous ones”. IEC reports discovery of forged voter cards in Ghazni but says it will not be possible to use them on election day. New anti-corruption prosecutions have “ground to a halt”, NYT reports. Afghan Central Bank will retain control over Kabul Bank leadership “for the forseeable future”.
In today's local news: UN chief demonstrates finger-staining ink; Karzai meets security chiefs ahead of Saturday's poll; ballot papers being delivered; violence and allegations of candidate intimidation in Balkh, Ghazni, Uruzgan and Baghlan; a candidate in fear.
In today’s news: very low numbers of Pashtuns are joining the Afghan army despite efforts to increase recruitment. Afghan government disputes NATO account of Takhar airstrike that wounded a parliamentary candidate. Kunar governor says Taliban have agreed to only attack foreign forces, not polling centers, on election day in his province. UNAMA head Staffan di Mistura sees behind-the-scenes Taliban support for some candidates as a move into the political process; other analysts are more skeptical.
In today's local news: candidate's son shoots at rival; claims of posters being torn down in Nangarhar; IEC worried about fake voter cards; Ghazni residents too scared to vote; celebrations in Herat over Quran-burning plan scrapped; rockets hit Jalalabad.
In today’s news: SIGAR releases new report on “lessons learned” from 2009 elections. NATO acknowledges it may have caused civilian casualties in airstrike earlier this month on a parliamentary candidate in Takhar. Two killed in Logar yesterday in continuing protests against now-cancelled Quran-burning event. The Obama administration plans to scale back anti-corruption pushes in Afghanistan, the Post and WSJ report. Petraeus issues new contracting guidelines.
In today's local and international news: AAN says it expects fraud in Saturday's elections; violence expected to flare on poll day; reports of fake voter cards being printed in Pakistan; quran-burning protests continue; the challenges facing women candidates.
In today’s news: Pres. Karzai marks nine-year anniversary of 9/11 with warning against civilian casualties and a call for a focus on “the sources and the orgins of terrorism”. Taliban say U.S. must withdraw their forces from Afghanistan “without any preconditions”. Protests against now-cancelled Quran-burning continue across the country. Afghanistan NGO Safety Office warns of a shrinking space for humanitarian operations in the country.
In today’s local and international news: an election observer talks about his job; Karzai speaks out about Quran-burning plan while more protests occur; rockets strike Bagram; Brit ex-Para released from Kabul prison.
In today’s news: at least 11 people have been injured in protests around Afghanistan against a Florida church’s planned burning of the Quran. NATO says it killed a Taliban bombing cell leader in Kabul province. The Post reports on the role of the Ulema Council and its increasingly tense relations with the state.
