But the Taliban are Supposed to be Gone

Reuters reports on a rocket attack by the Taliban:

One rocket exploded in the air above the main U.S. military compound in Kabul before dawn, damaging vehicles in a nearby car park. In the eastern city of Jalalabad, a rocket plowed into a house, wounding two young children, officials said.

More significantly, the report doesn't question the 10 million plus figure for registered voter, which, as many have pointed out, exceeds estimates of the eligible electorate. No mention is made of the warlords who really run most of Afghanistan, nor is any mention made of the opium crop, which apparently Bush thinks is the mechanism by which Afghanistan will join the "family of nations."

The article DOES directly quote "Taliban spokesman Latif Hakimi." If the Taliban can provide an official spokesperson, then I think Bush's claims about having routed them are a bit premature.

Here's hoping violence will be minimal--considering that the "election" is little more than window dressing for the Bush policy of creating gravel out of rubble, voters are playing lottery with their lives. There will likely be attacks on some polling places--the question is which ones.

And if anyone thinks life will get better for the Afghans--well, I've got a bridge in Brooklyn and some real estate in Florida I'd like you to look at.

Earlier this year, Karzai had to come to the US and beg for money, because the compassionate conservative administration and Congress forgot to include this particular project in the budget. After the election, look for a similar response.

The Bush Afghanistan project, like everything else he's done, is a classic instance of a "C" student turning in "C" level work. That might be fine for running a small business (or small city)--but it's completely inadequate for the United States government.