Afghanistan presidential campaign

President Hamid Karzai center, greet his supporters during an election rally in Kabul, Afghanistan on Friday. During his first campaign rally in the capital, Afghanistan’s president shook hands and roused supporters with promises to hold international troops more accountable. (Rafiq Maqbool / Associated Press)

Sept. 16, 2014 2:20 PM PT

A crowd gathers in a large, hot tent in Kabul to show support for President Hamid Karzi, who did not appear. Until recently, Karzai spent little time in public, leaving the campaigning to aides and surrogates. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Backers in Kabul run after Afhan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah, who exhorted the crowd: “Don’t choose the wrong person. Don’t bring back a government that didn’t do as it promised.” (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Dr. Abdullah Abdullah meets with supporters in his private garden outside Kabul, July 2009. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

Opposition presidential candidate Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai greets supporters at a rally in Kabul earlier in the month. (Rafiq Maqbool / Associated Press)

Ahmadzai addresses supporters at rally in Kabul. Forty candidates are vying for the presidency in the Aug. 20 election. (Rafiq Maqbool / Associated Press)

Campaign posters are plastered around Kabul in advance of the Aug. 20 presidential elections. President Hamid Karzi has been in power since U.S.-led troops overthrew the Taliban in 2001. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)