While president Karzai had almost 50 percent of the legal votes, what is to say that not more of the votes are false? Next to that, Afghanistan now has a president who is officially not elected by the majority of the people. This can have major consequences for the additional troop support which is mentioned by the US. Furthermore, European countries won’t be so eager to increase their troop levels knowing there is a faulty government stationed in Afghanistan.

For a stable and secure Afghanistan a non-corrupt democratically elected government is essential. And with the present government in place who is to say that Western aid will go to where it is needed the most and not in the packets of corrupt government personnel, family or friends of the installed government? Not to mention the Taliban.

Anyhow, I think the United States and Britain will increase their troop levels in Afghanistan anyway, without it there is no decent way out. Other European countries will probably not send additional troops to Afghanistan, training personnel excluded.

In the end Western countries promised a safe and democratic Afghanistan, but failed to do so. This shows us again and again that achieving stability in a region is not only to get in with force, break your opponent and get out, no… It is much more; it is taking responsibility for a nation as a whole, giving people a better future, and hope…