Taliban vow to step up war after Afghan poll "drama"

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Taliban vow to step up war after Afghan poll "drama"

KABUL, Sept 21 (Reuters) - The Taliban rejected Afghanistan's elections as a U.S. drama and vowed on Wednesday to intensify their war, calling into question President Hamid Karzai's contention that the need for military force had diminished.

U.N. vote organisers say that about half the 12 million registered Afghans voted in Sunday's national assembly and provincial polls hailed by Kabul's allies as a step forward for democracy.

Taliban spokesman Abdul Latif Hakimi said only four million had voted, less than 15 percent of a population he put at 30 million.

"The Taliban are thankful to the Afghan people for rejecting the U.S. drama," he said, adding that the parliament would not represent Afghans and would be subordinate to the United States.