Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Would I vote?

If I were an Afghan living in Helmand province or in the eastern parts of the country which, like Helmand, must be considered active war zones, would I vote in the imminent election? It takes courage to vote in a war zone, more courage than I suspect I have. The NewsHour broadcast a British ITV report from a district in Helmand this evening, showing a meeting (shura) of Afghan elders being addressed by a government official and a British officer. After the meeting, one of the attendees remarked to the reporter that he wouldn't vote on Thursday if his own father were on the ballot.

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