In spite of that lack of confidence in their elections, about 7 million Afghans (2/3 men and 1/3 women) turned out to vote yesterday in their presidential election. They have eight (American approved) candidates to choose from, but it is believed that only three have a real chance of winning -- Ashraf Ghani, Abdullah Abdullah, and Zalmai Rassoul. Current president Hamid Karzai is constitutionally prevented from running, since he has already served two terms.
Some say the good turnout is indicative of a burgeoning democracy in Afghanistan. I doubt that. They are still a nation ruled by war lords (to which even the central government must pay homage), and there is a better than even chance that their fragile pseudo-democracy will disappear as soon as the American troops withdraw.
But whatever this election means for Afghanistan, I see it as bad news for the United States. President Obama wants to continue the Bush/Obama war that has been going on for over 12 years now -- perhaps for another 10 years or more. But he can't do that unless the Afghan president signs an agreement that asks the U.S. to stay, and exempts American troops from Afghan law for any crimes they may commit in that country. President Karzai has refused to sign that agreement, but all three of the leading Afghan presidential candidates have said they would sign that agreement.
That means the useless and unnecessary war will continue. President Obama will withdraw some troops in December, and he will claim he has ended the war. But the truth is that at least 10,000 troops will remain in Afghanistan, and there is no timetable for their withdrawal. American troops will continue to die, and their very presence will be a huge impediment to the Afghans being able to solve their own problems (which only they can do).
I wish I could say that voting for a particular political party would end this stupid war, but the sad fact is that neither of the major parties (Democrats or Republicans) has the political will or courage to end the war. In spite of the fact that it is now obvious that there is no military solution in Afghanistan (and staying there will change nothing), both parties think withdrawing all of our troops will make them look weak (and that will cost them votes).
It is time for the American people to demand an end to this ridiculous war, and a withdrawal of ALL American troops from Afghanistan -- because the politicians have shown us they will not end it until they are forced to do so.