Abdullah Abdullah, former Afghan Foreign Minister. Photo/AP
Kabul – Speaking out one day after five British soldiers were killed in southern Helmand, a province in Afghanistan, Karzai’s challenger Abdullah Abdullah called President Hamid Karzai’s victory illegal and his government a failure.
Abdullah said the tainted Karzai administration would not be able to check corruption or fend off the Taliban.
It was on Monday when Abdullah withdrew from the runoff race saying it could not be free or fair. Abdullah contended that he was quitting not as a concession, but because he couldn’t trust the process.
However today, Abdullah has reportedly said although he did not plan to challenge Karzai’s victory in court, he would leave it up to the Afghan people to decide whether to accept Karzai as the legitimate leader for another five year term.
Abdullah said the Afghan government under Karzai had squandered eight years of opportunity and the assistance of its Western allies by failing to stop corruption or to create a government that responds to the needs of the Afghan people.
"That government cannot bring legitimacy, cannot fight corruption," Abdullah said, adding that it "cannot deal with all the challenges, especially the threat of terrorism, security problems, poverty, unemployment and many others."
"Eight years of golden opportunity we have missed," Abdullah said of the money and lives spent by international forces. He said the Karzai government's ineffectiveness has made more troops necessary to restore peace.
President Barack Obama and White House officials have been anxious for a credible, legitimate government to emerge to be a reliable partner against the Taliban.
General Stanley McChrystal, NATO’s top commander in Afghanistan believes the situation in Afghanistan to be serious and is asking for 400,000 more troops to be sent to the region.
White House officials have reportedly said the president’s decision to send in more troops may take up to three weeks.
Associated Press contributed
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