Afghan Elections - a Vote Against the Taliban? "The enemy is advancing", warns the new commander of the international forces in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal. He says the Taliban are so strong that they are now threatening regions outside their traditional areas of influence in the south of the country - and that just days before the country’s presidential election.   The Taliban are laying siege to the country with suicide attacks. They now operate in almost every province. Their aim is to intimidate the Afghan population and keep them away from ballot boxes. Western and Afghan officials alike fear that many ordinary people will be too frightened to vote. The election is being seen as a test of the competence of the Afghan security forces. It will also show whether or not the strategies employed by the international community have been successful in establishing stabile institutions in the country. That's exactly what the Islamists are trying to prevent. The electoral campaign has been overshadowed by attacks against the candidates. Two employees of President Hamid Karzai's challenger Abdullah Abdullah have been shot dead. The convoy of vice-president Mohammed Qasim Fahim has also been attacked. Observers say the number of attacks is likely to increase as election day approaches. The international military alliance suffers new casualties almost every day. The incidents show that the latest anti-Taliban offensive has not delivered the hoped-for results. The large number of civilians killed in the conflict has alienated the Afghan population. New NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen wants more troops deployed in the country. He is demanding a greater level of engagement on the part of President Hamid Karzai and he has criticised the lack of tempo in establishing an effective Afghan army. And yet Karzai is still viewed as the favourite to win the election, despite the general dissatisfaction with his government. If he wins, he has ...