10/23/2004 11:34:34 AM|||Nathan Moore|||

You know, we haven't heard much about the electoral boondoggle that was supposed to be Afghanistan's presidential election. It's taking time to count the votes, but we can hardly be critical on that vein.

Likewise, observers at the United Nations, perhaps the pit of anti-Americanism conviction, say that the Iraqi election are well on schedule.

Preparations for the crucial January election are "on track" and the absence of international observers due to the country's tenuous security should not detract from the vote's credibility, the top U.N. electoral expert here said. ...

"International observation is important only in that it's symbolic," Carlos Valenzuela told The Associated Press in an interview Thursday. "I don't think that the process will be less credible without observers, absolutely not. They are not the essence. They are not essential. They are not important. If they can come, fine, of course."

Naysayers, where art thou?

UPDATE An email from the ground in Afghanistan via Blackfive.

|||109854950817516368|||Naysayers Naysayed