[ Afghan Elections 2004-2005 ]

Abdul Latif Hakimi, purporting to speak on behalf of the neo-Taliban, said his group decided not to launch attacks on the day of the presidential election in order to avoid killing innocent Muslims, AFP reported on 12 October. "In order to avoid bloodshed of innocent Muslims, we did not target the polling station," Hakimi told AFP in a telephone interview. Hakimi said neo-Taliban insurgents will continue their struggle beyond the elections and that the movement is gaining popularity, a claim rejected by Colonel Dick Pedersen, commander of U.S.-led forces in southern Afghanistan. Kandahar Province Governor Mohammad Yusof Pashtun said that while neo-Taliban elements are not totally destroyed, the successful election "will demoralize them." In the months and weeks prior to Afghanistan's presidential election, there was much talk of likely attacks by neo-Taliban and other militant groups before or on election day. It is still unclear whether security measures that were put in place ahead of the vote were responsible for the essentially bloodless election day, or whether militants made a conscious decision not to launch attacks on that day. (Amin Tarzi)