As they did prior to the Loya Jirga last year, the Taliban are threatening to disrupt the upcoming elections in Afghanistan. Specifically, "[a] notorious Taliban commander warned Wednesday that Afghans who take part in elections this year will face attack." As the article notes the Taliban were unable to disrupt the Loya Jirga which was held under tight security and had its own internal problems once convened. The Taliban continue to kill Afghans and foreigners that are attempting to help transform Afghanistan from the wretched hovel of a country it has become. While they've made significant inroads in reclaiming territory in their traditional strongholds around Kandahar, I doubt their current muscle extends much beyond that. Certainly, though, they might be able to bribe some northern warlords into making trouble at the elections. One wonders if any of this would be happening had the administration not had a hardon for Saddam and not restricted any NATO presence outside of Kabul and not refused to allow a force big enough to keep peace and ... well it just keeps going.
