'Legitimacy Won't Come from the Ballot Box Alone'
Interview conducted by Gregor Peter Schmitz
Now that Afghan President Hamid Karzai has agreed to a run-off okagainst his main challenger Abdullah Abdullah, there are concerns that a repeat of the fraud that marred the first round of the elections could be blamed on the West. Brian Katulis, a US expert on Afghanistan, explains to SPIEGEL ONLINE why the election is still vitally important for the country's future.
Katulis: We're probably looking at a scenario where we need to move beyond the cliché "free and fair" standard for elections and look for something that is "good enough" in the eyes of the Afghan people and the competing candidates and factions.
Katulis: Legitimacy won't come from the ballot box alone. Afghanistan's leaders -- stress on the plural here, it is not just about Karzai -- will gain legitimacy by setting commitments to meet the needs of their people and fulfilling those commitments. The true test of legitimacy will come when Afghanistan's leaders advance security, improve the standard of living, and deliver justice to ordinary citizens.
atulis: Afghanistan remains a pressing global security challenge, not just a national security problem for the United States. More could be done by all -- under the condition that Afghan leaders demonstrate they share our objectives.
'This Is No Longer a War of Necessity'
Richard Haass, the president of the influential Council on Foreign Relations, talks to SPIEGEL about new approaches to the Afghanistan war, the country's decreasing significance in the war on terror and why Pakistan is more important to American interests.
