BS: Mid East small step

Subject: BS: Mid East small step
From: GUEST,Keith A o Hertford
Date: 11 Oct 04 - 10:39 AM

Just so that it does not pass unnoticed on Mudcat.
A presidential election was successfully held in Afghanistan yesterday.
Millions of men AND women turned out to vote ignoring threats of violent reprisals.
Not perfect, but with virtually no assistance from UN, Europe or the international community in general. Shame on them, and all praise to the coalition troops who were stretched beyond the limit to protect the vulnerable.
Keith.

Subject: RE: BS: Mid East small step
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 11 Oct 04 - 01:15 PM

Pedantic note) Afghanistan wouldn't generally be included in a list of Middle East countries, any more than Pakistan.

Here's a list I found:
Bahrain
Cyprus
Egypt
Iran
Iraq
Israel
Jordan
Kuwait
Lebanon
Oman
Palestinian Authority
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Syria
Turkey
United Arab Emirates
Yemen

Subject: RE: BS: Mid East small step
From: dianavan
Date: 11 Oct 04 - 01:19 PM

I guess it was successful if you ignore the reports that some people were able to vote 10 times.

d

Subject: RE: BS: Mid East small step
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 11 Oct 04 - 02:54 PM

As I said, not perfect. A bad batch of ink for marking voters. Cock up or conspiracy?
Pity there were not more observers available. Perhaps because there is no oil, only US and friends can be bothered.
Keith.

Subject: RE: BS: Mid East small step
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 11 Oct 04 - 03:32 PM

Diana, since no one else is much interested, I will point out that it was successful in that the gunmen were unable or unwilling to disrupt it, that millions showed that they wanted to be part of a democratic process, that women felt they were being consulted on something fundamental for the first time, and by showing that such things are indeed possible in this region.(is region OK Kevin M ?)
Glitches can occur during elections even in old esablished democracies, The US for example.
Keith.

Subject: RE: BS: Mid East small step
From: Peace
Date: 11 Oct 04 - 03:36 PM

Didn't Stalin say something about "not controlling how people vote but controlling those who COUNT the vote?" Worked in Florida.

Subject: RE: BS: Mid East small step
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 11 Oct 04 - 05:26 PM

Yeah Keith, the US never gets involve because of Oil.

Didn't 15 opposition parties bycott the election because they thought it was rigged? Aren't all the provinces being run by warlords and drug growers in spite of who votes? Not perfect is right.

Subject: RE: BS: Mid East small step
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 11 Oct 04 - 06:07 PM

No oil in Afghanistan. None in Kososvo. Just US, Brit., Canadian and Aussie squadies giving their all.

Subject: RE: BS: Mid East small step
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 11 Oct 04 - 07:39 PM

Hope it works out. But the people of Afghanistan were betrayed last time, and that's where the Taliban came in, a nightmare "solution" to a nightmare situation created by outsiders who thought they knew how to sort things out.

Subject: RE: BS: Mid East small step
From: mg
Date: 11 Oct 04 - 07:40 PM

No oil but emeralds...and blue semiprecious stones...what is it???? The emeralds were helping to finance various actions. Lapis Lazula...that is it. I hope they are able to mine all sorts of it safely and have greatly increased prosperity...and I would like to see managed opium farms in various places...so that everyone in the world who needs it for medical reasons gets it. Are there pain-killers that are any safer????? Last I heard it was very safe.

And the bells of freedom are ringing in another country...hopefully forever.

mg

Subject: RE: BS: Mid East small step
From: mack/misophist
Date: 11 Oct 04 - 09:26 PM

Note: Lapis Lazuli just ain't that valuable, even though Afghanistan is said to have the best. Emeralds? Not a lot, not high quality. Lots of semi-precious stones in general but they're nothing to shout about. Ten years ago the best grade of Lapis went wholesale for about US$40 a pound.

Subject: RE: BS: Mid East small step
From: GUEST,Boab
Date: 12 Oct 04 - 01:39 AM

Keith Ao Hertford; I get the impression that you are more concerned with dubious point-scoring than you are about the advance for the Afghan people. Dont take any fits, but the "coalition" had damn-all to do with Afghanistan. You would find Canadians, French, and other nations active in that country who were very rightly against the so-called "coalition of the willing" which assaulted the high-tech hordes of Iraq, braving those weapons of mass destruction in the process. And anyone who imagines that oil is not at least part of the picture in Afghanistan just hasn't looked too closely at the situation on the northern borders.
   The election in Afghanistan has passed off in relative peace, and while it is plain that SOME skulduggery took place [Some Afghans have claimed on the 'net to have cast multiple votes]it is to be hoped that this IS the beginning of a new era for that long-beleaguered land, and that all parties now involved will in the future continue to accept the electoral will of the Afghan people. We shall see----

Subject: RE: BS: Mid East small step
From: GUEST,Keith A
Date: 12 Oct 04 - 04:08 AM

Only point scoring to even the balance a bit.
If the election had been unpopular or a blood bath as many were predicting, there would have been copious postings here.
I did say "small step"

Also, add Sierra Leone to the list of oil barren places helped by US.

Subject: RE: BS: Mid East small step
From: Keith A of Hertford
Date: 04 Nov 04 - 04:40 AM

and the result of the other presidential election

President Khasi 55%

(I know that he spells his name differently, but I wish to acknowledge the prescience of that seminal film "Carry On Up The Kaiber" )

Subject: RE: BS: Mid East small step
From: robomatic
Date: 04 Nov 04 - 08:21 AM

I don't want to sound unnaturally cheerful but President Bartlett negotiated a Middle East peace settlement only last week. I missed the details because there was a little matter of the

RED SOX WINNING THE WORLD PENNANT

but it sounded pretty good, even though it was a case of reality being much more unlikely than fiction.

Subject: RE: BS: Mid East small step
From: CarolC
Date: 04 Nov 04 - 12:18 PM

No oil in Afghanistan, perhaps, but that doesn't mean the US invasion of Afghanistan had nothing to do with oil. It had everything to do with oil. Afghanistan is strategically located where the US would like to put a very important oil pipeline. And if you look at maps of US troop deployment and US military bases in Afghanistan, you'll see that they coincide quite nicely with where the pipeline is supposed to go/is going.