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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Afghanistan's reaction to Obama's election victory | Afghanistan's reaction to Obama's election victory |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| In Afghanistan, there had been little interest in the election, probably because most people felt US policy towards their country was already broadly fixed, with a Nato-agreed deadline of 2014 for the withdrawal of most troops. | In Afghanistan, there had been little interest in the election, probably because most people felt US policy towards their country was already broadly fixed, with a Nato-agreed deadline of 2014 for the withdrawal of most troops. |
| President Hamid Karzai and other officials, including the governor of Kandahar province, the Taliban's birthplace, sent congratulations to Obama on his re-election. | President Hamid Karzai and other officials, including the governor of Kandahar province, the Taliban's birthplace, sent congratulations to Obama on his re-election. |
| Karzai, whose relationship with the US has often been stormy, said he hoped Obama's second term would allow greater co-operation between the two countries. | Karzai, whose relationship with the US has often been stormy, said he hoped Obama's second term would allow greater co-operation between the two countries. |
| The statement of congratulation said: "President Karzai also hopes that with the re-election of President Obama, the bilateral relations between Afghanistan and the United States could further expand on the basis of mutual interests of the two countries." | The statement of congratulation said: "President Karzai also hopes that with the re-election of President Obama, the bilateral relations between Afghanistan and the United States could further expand on the basis of mutual interests of the two countries." |
| The Taliban, whom the US military have now been fighting for over a decade, were less welcoming. America should focus on its domestic challenges, and leave Afghanistan as soon as possible, they said in a statement after the election results were announced. | The Taliban, whom the US military have now been fighting for over a decade, were less welcoming. America should focus on its domestic challenges, and leave Afghanistan as soon as possible, they said in a statement after the election results were announced. |
| "Obama should take advantage of his second term, and use the opportunity to prevent the US from trying to police the world, and focus instead on solving the problems of Americans," the statement said. | "Obama should take advantage of his second term, and use the opportunity to prevent the US from trying to police the world, and focus instead on solving the problems of Americans," the statement said. |
| "Obama has realised that Americans are tired of the war and the back-breaking costs of wars. Therefore he should withdraw the occupying forces from our country as soon as possible and prevent the death of more Americans. | "Obama has realised that Americans are tired of the war and the back-breaking costs of wars. Therefore he should withdraw the occupying forces from our country as soon as possible and prevent the death of more Americans. |
| Some members of Afghanistan's tiny tech-savvy elite were already looking ahead to their own presidential poll, set for 2014; there are widespread fears that the vote will be plagued by fraud and security problems, as the last two elections were. | Some members of Afghanistan's tiny tech-savvy elite were already looking ahead to their own presidential poll, set for 2014; there are widespread fears that the vote will be plagued by fraud and security problems, as the last two elections were. |
| Lotfullah Najafizada, head of current affairs at the influential Tolo TV channel, tweeted: "The US election is over – smooth and transparent. What lessons could be learned from it for new democracies such as Afghanistan?" | Lotfullah Najafizada, head of current affairs at the influential Tolo TV channel, tweeted: "The US election is over – smooth and transparent. What lessons could be learned from it for new democracies such as Afghanistan?" |
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