U.N. official fired over Afghan election views

[BATMAN]

U.N. official fired over Afghan election views

Peter Galbraith, a former American diplomat who served as the second-highest-ranking U.N. official in Afghanistan, was fired from his job Wednesday after clashing with his boss over the outcome of the country's disputed election.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon decided to "recall" Galbraith from Afghanistan and "end his appointment as the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General" for the U.N. mission in Afghanistan, according to a statement by Ban's spokesperson.

"He expresses his thanks to Mr. Galbraith for his hard work and professional dedication. The Secretary-General recognizes Mr. Galbraith's important contributions to the work of the mission and throughout his distinguished career as an international civil servant," the statement said, adding that Ban had "made this decision in the best interest of the mission."

Galbraith, who was viewed as an ally of the U.S. envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke, had recently received little public support from the United States. Asked to respond to the news, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said, "It's a United Nations matter."

Ban's decision to fire Galbraith, the former U.S. ambassador to Croatia, came just weeks after Galbraith abruptly left Afghanistan following a dispute with the U.N.'s top official in Afghanistan, Kai Eide of Norway, over whether to publicly denounce Afghanistan's election commission for not discounting clearly fraudulent votes cast in favor of President Hamid Karzai's re-election.

Galbraith, who is in Vermont, had pressed aggressively for an exhaustive probe, arguing that Karzai's election had been tainted by fraud, according to diplomatic sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity. They said that Eide argued that the international community should not press too hard for an investigation because it could undermine Afghanistan's national stability.

Also Wednesday, President Obama heard from his top national security officials about their next step forward with Afghanistan but has not made any decisions.

A senior administration official says Obama spent three hours in the White House Situation Room and pushed his team for specifics and details. The official, who was involved in the session, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive material.

The official says no decisions about increased troop levels were discussed; instead, the group focused on what the goals in that war-torn country should be.

The top military official for Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, has pushed for more troops. But Obama has delayed any decision for another meeting.

One faction in the administration - it includes the top three military commanders overseeing the war - wants to accept McChrystal's recommendations. Others favor a new strategy of using Special Forces and unmanned drone aircraft for tactical strikes on the Taliban and al Qaeda leadership, a move that would require much more U.S. action in Pakistan but fewer troops.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates "has clearly been a strong proponent of counterinsurgency" organized by McChrystal, Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said Wednesday.

UN is not very neutral as we see.
it is good to see Hillary giving respect to UN .....but only when it helps them self!!!!
Where is famous UN peace keepers??? why are they kept out of Afghanistan?

 

[S-2]

Galbraith is one of my politico-diplomatic heros.

His views and advocacy on behalf of Kurdistan were a refreshing post-OIF perspective that helped to formulate many of my own views on Iraq and Kurdistan. That he would so vehemently advocate the exposing of electoral fraud isn't surprising. He's used to seeing matters as they are.

Others aren't and continue to perpetuate a fantasy. I believe they do so to avoid facing harsh decisions about an appropriate afghan partner. There appear none sufficiently free of corruption or, if so, inadequate to garner the general support of all competing factions.

This is a political war, again. For all the anti-American military braggadocio I see tossed about here, our MILITARY costs, both American and ISAF, remain amazingly low and factually sustainable. So too the afghan costs in civilian lives. There's no comparison to either the afghan civil war or the afghan-soviet war.

But it can easily be lost when American citizens and others see themselves mired, not in conflict and combat, but in byzantine tribal/ethnic politics punctuated with warlordism, wanton cruelty, and corruption at every turn.

An interesting turn...

Thumbs up for the find!

 

[SSGPA1]

Richard Holbrooke also tried to convince Karzai that there was fraud in elections but he failed and Galbraith's allegations are in line with the US concerns.

US State dept has lost this battle, therefore, Mrs. Clinton calls it an internal UN matter

UN peace keepers are out of Afghanistan because no country will contribute to the peace keeping force for this mission. This may change if India agrees to take on the role but it will be a hard sell to Pakistan, China and above all to the Indian people.

 

[BATMAN]

It is no surprise that Afghan elections are not fair or in its true spirit.
It is simply beyond physics.
Afghan govt. can hardly conduct elections in Kabul. leave the rest of Afghanistan.