Suicide Attack, Kabul Car Bomb Kill Nine Before Afghan Election

Source: Bloomberg

Aug. 18 (Bloomberg) -- A suicide bomber attacked a polling station in Afghanistan killing six people while a car bomb exploded on a road leading into the capital two days before a presidential election key to efforts to combat Islamic militancy.

Four policemen were among those killed in the suicide blast outside an election center in the southern province of Uruzgan, the Afghan news agency Pajhwok reported. At least three people died on the main highway heading into eastern Kabul, Defense Ministry spokesman Gen. Mohammad Azimy said.

The violence and Taliban threats to disrupt the Aug. 20 election are heightening a potential for vote fraud that may undermine the U.S.-led bid to build a creditable government capable of improving security.

“Fraud will be possible in any polling place where independent observers cannot be present,” said Jandad Spinghar, director of the Free and Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan, the country’s biggest poll-monitoring organization. Taliban attacks in the past week make it uncertain how many monitors can do their jobs, Spinghar said in a telephone interview in Kabul.

more: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601080&sid=aUeO.y2tYGLQ