Public Opinion in US Turns Against Afghan WarWashington Post: Among all adults, 51 percent now say the war is not worth fighting.
IPS: Polls suggest that Karzai might have to pad his legitimate vote total by as much as 40 percent... But Karzai has been laying the groundwork for just a contingency for many months.
The Guardian: 'The Taliban is very strong,' said the taller of the two men, Agha Mansour.'They control the whole area. The village is peaceful and there is no fighting except when foreigners enter the area. Then the Taliban start shooting at them and we are in a war... They collect 10% tax on all income even from the government fields... They give you a receipt and never charge extra or more.' Shirjan added: 'At least they are honest. They don't take bribes like the government officials do.'
Then Shirjan repeated an argument that can be heard all over Afghanistan. 'If you take your case to a government court it will take you four to five years to finish because the longer the case goes the more bribes you pay. So the officials don't want you to finish. Whereas if you take your case to the Taliban court they will give a judgment in one day and according to God's ruling. So the people go to the Taliban.'
Financial Times: The Taliban is winning the war in Afghanistan, a fact that even the top US commander in the country reluctantly concedes... The insurgents are part of the population, and there is no way to distinguish them from ordinary villagers. In the Pashtun south, where xenophobic feelings are common, many if not most Afghans support the insurgents more readily than the international coalition.
Huffington Post: For almost a year, Western officials have been conceding that the war will not end without a political solution that involves negotiations with insurgents. But, these officials say, the West isn't ready yet to make a deal... So, there's going to be a deal with insurgents... The question that remains is how many more people will die before that happens.
