Afghan elections

Earlier today I mentioned the state of affairs in the Iraqi elections. It's only fair to discuss the other pillar of Bush's era, the upcoming elections in Afghanistan:

The power of Afghan armed factions means elections there will go ahead in an environment of fear and repression, US-based Human Rights Watch says.
A 51-page report released on Tuesday says local warlords are involved in widespread intimidation aimed at affecting the 9 October poll results.

Most are former Mujahideen leaders and are resisting efforts to disarm them.

The study says warlords are using threats of violence to ensure people vote for their preferred candidate.

While the continuing Taliban insurgency often gets more headlines, it is the grip these commanders retain that worries more people here.

Sound like things are going swimmingly. I imagine things would be a lot better if we had taken the time in Afghanistan to get things right. Maybe even as a test run for this whole Middle East democracy idea.