Ousted: the US diplomat who wanted inquiry into Afghan vote

[babsbunny]

Ousted: the US diplomat who wanted inquiry into Afghan vote

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/ousted-the-us-diplomat-who-wanted-inquiry-into-afghan-vote-1795745.html

Peter Galbraith recalled by United Nations after row over disputed election

By Rupert Cornwell in Washington

Thursday, 1 October 2009

Peter Galbraigth, UN deputy special representative for Afghanistan: 'The disagreement is about how active the UN should be in promoting fair elections'


The senior American official at the United Nations mission in Afghanistan
has been ousted after clashing with his superior over the recent fraud-ridden election. The angry row only underlines the acute difficulties the US and its allies face as they struggle to chart a way forward in the eight-year conflict.

Yesterday the UN confirmed that Peter Galbraith, the organisation's deputy special representative for Afghanistan, was being recalled by Ban Ki-moon, the secretary general – the culmination of a dispute that had long made it inconceivable that Mr Galbraith could ever return to his post.

[Karmadillo]

1. Approved by the Obama administration?

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/ousted-the-us-diplomat-who-wanted-inquiry-into-afghan-vote-1795745.html

<edit>

The decision, taken on the sidelines of last week's UN General Assembly, signalled that Washington and its partners wanted to put the contested election behind them, in order to focus on the war. With the harsh Afghan winter approaching, any run-off would almost certainly have to wait until spring, when it might interfere with renewed military operations against the Taliban.

Outspoken and deeply committed to human rights, the 58-year old Mr Galbraith – a son of the late economist John Kenneth Galbraith – has decades of experience of global hot spots.

Given America's leadership of the coalition waging the Afghan war, it is scarcely imaginable that his dismissal by Mr Ban was not approved by the Obama administration. His departure casts another shadow over the crucial discussions under way here over future strategy in the war – in essence a choice between stepping up the war on the ground by injecting up to 40,000 more US troops, or scaling back operations to focus on al-Qa'ida.

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