Turmoil in Afghanistan undermines Bush's plan

Afghanistan was supposed to be the shining example of President Bush's nation-building policy with a democratically elected government as its cornerstone. But two years after the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan that resulted in the ouster of the Taliban rulers, the country remains in a state of political and economic upheaval.
As the Los Angeles Times reported this week, "Security in large areas of Afghanistan has so deteriorated that U.S. and U.N. officials fear that plans to hold presidential elections in June may be in jeopardy." The story noted that Taliban and Al-Qaida insurgents have mounted a deliberate strategy to obstruct the political process that is key to democratizing the country.
In the months leading up to the war in Iraq in March, we cautioned that such an operation would not only be major distraction with regard to the president's campaign against global terrorism, launched after the terrorist attacks on America's homeland on Sept. 11, 2001, but would undermine the effort to establish democracy in Afghanistan.
Since the Taliban had played host to Al-Qaida and its leader, Osama bin Laden, we supported the coalition's invasion of Afghanistan and applauded the ouster of the brutal, dictatorial government. We saw the transition from a closed society controlled by Islamic extremists to an open democracy as an important development in that part of the world.
Daily attacks
But Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain argued that Iraq and its leader, Saddam Hussein, posed an immediate threat to the U.S. and its allies because of weapons of mass destruction and ties to Al-Qaida. American and British forces had little difficulty in ousting Saddam and his loyalists, but the political and physical rebuilding of Iraq is being undermined almost daily by attacks on the occupying forces.
With all the attention being paid to Iraq, Taliban and Al-Qaida leaders in Afghanistan have been busy not only recruiting fighters, but have launched a campaign of intimidation in many parts of the country. As a result, the drive to register voters for the parliamentary elections has been stalled.
President Bush has talked about the need to bring democracy to the Arab world, but as Afghanistan is showing, that's easier said than done.
"If they can't go out and do voter registration ... and then the elections aren't free and fair, then the Taliban wins," one U.S. official told the Los Angeles Times.
People who feel disenfranchised are easy prey for individuals like Saddam and bin Laden. That's a reality the Bush administration must face.
Every effort should be made to not only register as many voters as possible, but to ensure that they go to the polls. The people of Afghanistan deserve a level of security that would encourage them to attend political rallies and actively participate in the political process. That isn't happening now.