Abdullah Likely to Boycott Afghanistan Runoff

The status update from 20 hours ago on former Afghan foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah's Facebook page simply reads "God speed to our beloved Afghanistan." Meanwhile, the wires are buzzing about whether he is going to boycott his Nov. 7 runoff with President Hamid Karzai. A press conference is set for Sunday morning. The AP is reporting that his advisers say he will withdraw from the race.

The reason? Abdullah wanted the corruption that he says aided the ballot-stuffing in the first round to be corrected by the second round. This includes a demand to scrap certain elections officials, something Karzai won't agree to.

Abdullah would still emerge a winner if he goes ahead with the boycott, something he shunned on last Sunday's U.S. news shows but acknowledged that his supporters have been clamoring for him to go in that direction. He will not likely withdraw his allegations of corruption and fraud against the Karzai government, and will likely assume the role of opposition hero in the face of crumbling security and government in his country.

The loser in all of this? The U.S. and the Obama administration, which hoped a tidy runoff would produce a stable government in Kabul and allow it to proceed with its next steps, whatever they may be, on the Afghan war.

(Photo by Majid/Getty Images)