The Moment

10|20|09: Kabul

For two months, the world watched as allegations of voting fraud threatened to thwart the apparent re-election of Afghan President Hamid Karzai. After the country's election-complaints board threw out a million suspicious ballots, Karzai refused to accept the results. On Oct. 20, after intense diplomatic lobbying by the U.S. and other international partners, Karzai at last announced he would acquiesce to a runoff with his rival, former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah. And yet the holding pattern continues. The vote, which Karzai is favored to win, is scheduled for Nov. 7, but it's unclear that this round will be any less contentious...

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