Karzai and Abdullah 'ready to work together'

Kabul: Global pressure mounted on President Hamid Karzai yesterday to accept a possible runoff in Afghanistan's disputed election as extended diplomacy delayed the announcement of official results from the August poll.

The row stemming from the election, marred by allegations of mass fraud, is a setback for the United States as President Barack Obama considers whether to send more troops to Afghanistan to fight a resurgent Taliban.

Diplomats and observers said Karzai's supporters resisted accepting the findings of an inquiry by the UN-backed Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) into poll fraud — a key factor behind delays in the announcing the outcome.

"They are putting up resistance," an official familiar with the discussions said.

"Legally, it is difficult to see on what grounds they can reject any of the findings."

Under Afghan law, Afghanistan's Independent Election Commission has to accept ECC probe findings, adjust the election tally and announce the final result.

As talks proceeded, observers said pressure was mounting on Karzai to agree to face his main challenger, Abdullah Abdullah, in a second round, or form an inclusive government.

Progress

In first public remarks suggesting that the talks were making at least limited progress, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said the two were ready to "work together."

"They talked, both of them, about the necessity of working together," he said.

Strategy evaluation

The US strategy in Afghanistan requires more than targeted missile strikes and use of special operations forces to succeed and should include counterterrorism efforts coordinated closely with ground troops, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman said after a visit to the region.

"I do not believe that a counterterrorism strategy all by itself without a sufficient level of counterinsurgency will work," said Senator John Kerry.

"If you don't have a presence on the ground that's effective, it's almost impossible to collect the kind of intelligence that you need to be equally effective in your counterterrorism."