Skepticism Over the Iraq and Afghanistan Elections

Re “Karzai Takes Office Amid Pomp, Visitors,” Dec. 7: Does anyone else find it interesting that Hamid Karzai, the person the U.S. government appointed as interim president in Afghanistan, won the election and was sworn in this week? Among over 23 million people, how is it that we selected the one person the voters of that country truly wanted in a free and open election? Somehow, I won’t be surprised if Iyad Allawi of Iraq also just happens to be voted in as the new president in January, during that country’s open and free election.

And one last question -- do open and free elections like the ones in Afghanistan and soon in Iraq transfer a nation instantly into a “democracy,” or does it also require things like a free press, freedom of religion, free speech, rule under reasonable laws, an independent judiciary, elected legislators, etc.? Just wondering.

Ben Tenn

Northridge

*

The Times reports from the Afghanistan front that the U.S. command is working a deal to provide amnesty for the Taliban that will facilitate troop reductions there (Dec. 6). While Osama bin Laden plots his next move and taunts us with his latest video from the mountains of Afghanistan, the Bush administration proposes to reduce our military resources there.

This is while the Bush administration increases the troop levels in the Iraqi quagmire that the 9/11 commission reports has no connection to the terrorists that attacked us. This war on terror would be a comedy of Bush errors if he had not lost so many brave Americans fighting it.

Randy T. Smith

Coto de Caza