ashraf ghani. has a potential to create a problem in the first and second rounds is the big margins between dr. zalmai rassoul and the two front runners. thetwo front-runners, margin of difference between them is almost by 1/3. is way lower than the two front running. the difference between dr. israf ghani and dr. abdullah one percent. >> 20 presenting, 19% -- >> 27% versus 8%. this is a fear a lot of people in afghanistan have. if zalmai rassoul is somehow hehed to the second round or becomes the candidate that gets the second highest number of that in the first round, will raise a lot of questions. the polls have constantly shown his low level of support. and it is highly likely the elections will go to a second round. considering the composition of the teams that we have. , there are some accusations among pashtuns because he sided with dostum, considered to have war crimes -- to have committed a war crime atrocities. on his team, he managed to vastly increase his constituency. in the 2009 presi

he'll face a run-off with a former world bank economist ashraf ghani, in second had 41.5% of the ballot. not everyone thinks a second round is a good idea. >> translation: the election problems affected the economy for the past several months. business has gone down. it's not good to have a second round. people will not come out to the vote because they are afraid. >> translation: it's normal if a candidate doesn't win in the first round we should go to a second round. we want it to be fair and transparent. >> there has been complaints of fraud. hundreds of thousands of votes are being investigated by the independent electoral commission. >> there are irregularities in the way the commission handled itself and we have been calling on them to make sure transparency is increased for candidates to accept the results of the count. >> abdullah abdullah believes most of the ballots expected to be tampered with respect cast in his favour. many say a run-off between the two men is inevitable was they don't think the results will give abdullah abdullah a win. the challenge is to prepare the coun

afghans had three main voices, abdullah abdullah, ashraf ghani ahmadzai, and zalmai rassoul. we probably won't know who has won for several weeks. as bernard smith reports, this is a proud day for many afghans. >> the queue started forming well before kabul's polling stations opened. despite the taliban threats to target the election, people wanted to vote. in afghanistan's 5,000-year history it marks the first democratic transfer of power. people here are eager to seize the chance. >> we don't care about the threat from the taliban. i don't have a threat from taliban. >> 12 million people were eligible to vote. in parts of the country polling stations were closed, where the taliban held sway. this is the scene across the country, people queue up after going through a security check. they dip their finger in indelible ink, go in to the booth to cast their vote and ballot. the blue one is for the presidential election, the green for the provincial election. the presidential vote is easy. the provincial elections, they get six pages, each like this. there are 400 candidates in

he is not close to abdullah abdullah, or to ashraf ghani ahmadzai. if zalmai rassoul gets in it would be a continuity of the hamid karzai administration. >> let's talk about the taliban. the fact that they did not laux a large-scale -- launch a large-scale attack today, despite launching successful attacks in recent weeks - what do you make of that? >> the afghan security forces were doing their job well. you know, the kind of thing they would do is try to preposition car bombs near polling stations. well, if the security forcers are good, they'll make is sweep and make sure there isn't anything like that. the taliban were prevented from successful attacks. on the whole. there were some. >> is this a sign that the afghan security forces are becoming increasingly more ready to take over security for the country? >> yes, i think it's certainly got to be taken as a sign. today has to be taken as a sign that the security forces are getting better. i don't think they could have provided this kind of security by themselves in the last election. >> juan col

the other two are zalmai rassoul, and ashraf ghani ahmadzai. one will have to win 50% of the vote to avoid the run-off. the taliban told civilians they'll be targeted if they try to vote. there are plenty ignoring the warning. there's effort to minimise the risk of fraud. ballot boxes are sealed and coded and tracked. eat voter dips their finger in ink so they don't vote again. >> four weeks after malaysian airlines flight mh370 vanished. there's new hope that the jot may be found. a chinese ship reportedly detected a signal matching the frequency of the black box. it was found off the coast of az's west coast. the signal or a ping was detected this morning. three members of the ship's crew heard it but did not have time to record it. it is yet to be confirmed as coming from the flight recorder. experts say the black box's batteries last for about 30 days. >> rallies across the country protesting washington's policy. it's called too many. this month is the obama administration's 2 millionth deportation. live to atlanta, where a protest is takin

zalmai rassoul is another, and ashraf ghani ahmadzai. kabul was locked down as part of a nation-wide security operation mobilizing 400 security personal. that helped to bring the number of attacks to afghanistan. ballot counting started since polls closed. there are aless of fraud being made. that will test the independence of the election commission. >> complaints could be handled, because we don't know how the election and complants commission will act during the past experience. it remains to act whether it is sin sorely or in favour -- sincerely or in favour of a candidate. the commission is not expected to announce preliminary results for four to five days. this was never expected to be a poll free of fraud, but how much there is will determine whether afghans except the commission's decision on the winner. >> with our weeks after malaysia airlines flight mh370 vanished there's new hope that the jet will be found. a signal matching the frequency of the black box was detected. it matches the area being searched, about 1,000 miles off

abdullah and ashraf ghani are making an effort to say that if dr. rassoul gets into the second round, it is automatically evidence of fraud. i think we as americans should not accept that which is a campaign ploy in advance. of note that not everyone is of this view. i was having breakfast with a a pretty liberal and educated audience. the were quite angry that election foundation had made a could notthat rassoul get in. there are divisions in views and then there are political agendas. >> i was going to come to that, actually. there are some justifications if he gets to that position. ve a significant number of undecided voters. itany stage you could say was the undecided voters who finally decided to vote for zalmai rassoul. that is one issue. the other issue, to be honest, even now it is a huge frustration on the part of the afghan people. of certainty lack -- what is going to happen in their elections. we have expectations that there should not be fraud in the process should produce legitimate government. it will not be a serious question or con

he represents a network associated with the north of the country as opposed to ashraf ghani who is moreongly associated with pashtuns who predominate in the south. along with the finance minister, they are respected technocrats, seem to be personally honest, but they have survived out of necessity with much more dubious figures, people you could frankly call warlords. in that respect, they don't really -- they're not dissimilar from president karzai himself. it speaks to the nature of the political system itch won't change regardless of who is elected. >> i want to ask you about anja niedringhaus, the veteran associated press photographer who was shot dead an afghan police officer just before the elections. she died instantly in the attack to the pakistani border. her funeral service was held saturday in germany will stop she was 48 years old. this is ap senior vice president kathleen carroll. >> she showed calm while all around was chaos. and i believe that is why her pictures from terrible places resonated with so many people around the world. dignity. their she found the quiet, human

another is ashraf ghani ahmadzai, a formier finance minister and world bank figures. and zalmai rassoul, serving as foreign minister, and has been one of hamid karzai's closestal lies. >> well, many afghan came out to vote, despite the threat of violence. here is what some had to say? >> i voted for the welfare of my country, the future and the rebuilding. i'm happy, and now i'm going back. >> as an afghan woman, i've come to cast my vote. i ask all afghan women to come and vote. >> the police are providing us with security. happily we have dom cast our votes. >> if no candidate wins more than 50% of the vote, a second round must be held between the two top contenders. results will not be known until mid may. the new president is unlikely to be in place before july and august. there are an estimated 12 million voters, and around 12 million voter registration cards are in circulation, raising concerns about fraud. there's 6,800 centres. for many casting a vote, it was hours travelling. >> let's go bernard smith, standing by in kabul. how is the big day shaping up? >> e

the grant runner is ashraf ghani ahmadzai. he used to be the finance minister. he worked for the world bank for over a decade. then there's zalmai rassoul, the top pick of outgoing president of hamid karzai. his running mate is a woman. he's unmarried, which is unusual for a politician in afghanistan. then there's abdullah abdullah. he ran for president back in 2009, finishing is distant second to hamid karzai. he is a former eye doctor. >> let's talk about zalmai rassoul, he's believed to be hamid karzai's top pick. jane ferguson takes a look at what his victory could mean. >> even those hoping to run this country can't travel its roads. this presidential candidate's helicopter lands at a spot which is a 2-hour drive from the capital, a journey considered too dangerous for him. previously foreign minister zalmai rassoul is seen as hamid karzai's chosen successor. that support, however, could come with a legacy of corruption linked to the government. >> the hamid karzai government will be very well-known for a long time for horrendous levels of corruption. >> yo

along with ashraf ghani. kabul was knocked down as part of a security operation that mobilized 400 security personnel. that helped to bring the attacks below average, according to security forces. ballot counting started as polls closed. already there are allegations of fraud being made that will test the independence of the election commission. >> i am not confident that the complaints would be handled fairly, because we don't know how the elections commission and the complaints commission will act during the past experiences that we have had with the two commissions have not been desirable, and this time around it remains to be seen whether they will act sincerely or they will act in favour of one of the candidates. >> the mission is not expected to announce blirm results for four to five days. it was never expected to be a poll free of fraud, but how much there is will determine whether afghans accept the commission's decision on the winner. >> four weeks after malaysia airlines flight mh370 completely van

ashraf ghani is one of the leading candidates for president. he told us the country is fed up with the violence. mb enemies of this country have tried to subvert the process through suicide bombers, through attacks on our children, on our women, on our journalists and our security forces. we should really honor their memory by having an election that's free and fair. or pelley: charlie d'agata is joining us now from kabul. charlie, do you know any more about the gunman? >> well, scott, he is a unit commander. eyewitnesses said when he approached the vehicle he shouted, allah akbar, "god is great" before opening fire. he immediately dropped his weapon and gave himself up to police. investigators are looking into his story that the shooting was done to avenge the deaths of relatives that were killed in that airstrike, and tonight, the taliban said they had nothing to do with the attack. g pelley: gunman in custody. charlie d'agata. thank you, charlie. in all, 173 journalists have e d' killed covering the wars in iraq and afghanistan. the committe

and ashraf ghani, a former finance minister who came out of nowhere, whose driven voters like alab safi to the polls like never before. why do you feel so strongly about this, so passionate? >> because he's one. he's the one to think about our future. he's the one. he's the best person. >> reporter: that's why you came out today? >> that's why i came here, yes. >> reporter: official preliminary results may be weeks away, understandable when they have to rely on 4,000 donkeys to carry back ballots over mountainous terrain. >> axelrod: charlie d'agata joins us now from kabul. charlie, there had been a surge in violence predicted around the time of the elections but it never seemed to materialize. are people surprised about that? >> reporter: very surprised. i think everybody here is bracing for the worst, and it may say something about the capability of the afghan security forces that it didn't happen. and, of course, we are reminded of the unpredictable nature of that violence and the attack on two associated press journalists in eastern afghanistan, a photographer, who was killed. we ha

but at this change, it looks like abdalla abdalla and ashraf ghani, are headed for a runoff vote. both have said they will take part of that runoff if they consider the election was been carried off fairly. while there has been fraud there hasn't been as significant enough a level for the outcome of the poll. in that case there might surely be a runoff but the afghans will not know until their new president will be until well into the end of october and the results are all in. >> report warns the planet is warming faster than some have expected and urged the world's governments to act fast. >> this is the third and final chapter of the panel's report on climb climate change. the world must are cut its reliance on coal and oil. and change to wind power. some call it a clash of interests between politics and science. it offers reasons for hope but also some stark warnings. >> the longer we delay, the higher would be the cost. i mean that's something which is very clear. but despite that, the point i'm making is that even now, the cost is not something that's going to bring about a m

this is the front runner ashraf ghani ahmadzai - he's somewhere around here, we saw him a second ago - there he is. he used to be the finance minister and worked for the world bank for a decade. then there's zalmai rassoul, the top pick of hamid karzai. his running mate is a woman. and abdullah abdullah, karzai's former minister, but ran against him and lost. joining us to discuss this is a senior staff writer at al jazeera. he has years of experience covering afghanistan, and sara nice, with the international rescue committee. they are on set with us. a lot of people are looking to this election in afghanistan, claiming a victory, patting themselves on the back. there's not a lot of violence. is this a huge step forward for democracy in afghanistan? >> we have been working with afghan community for 30 years. the fear is that there has been elections, military and international forces are drawing down, maybe it's time to wash our hands of afghanistan. >> that is the thought, and they look at the election as maybe it is time to pull away. >> there are massive needs in the country. the

ashraf ghani, a former economist with the world bank comes in second. the two will head to a run-off in june. several million afghans went to the polls. this is the country's first democratic transfer of power. >>> south africans are celebrating freedom day, marking the first post apartheid election sweeping nelson mandela into the presidency. nisreen el shamayleh reports. >> photographs of this woman's family brings back fond memories. she voted for freedom in the democratic elections in 1994, but feels young people do not understand what it was look living under apartheid. >> i told them they are stupid. i wouldn't want to tell them they are fools, because we live - we used to live like dogs. >> violet calls the apartheid years the dark days. some that spoke out were arrested, disappeared or killed. 20 years later, the ruling party. the african national concess is credited with ending apartheid. >> this 23-year-old learnt about it at school and word of mouth. without apartheid she knows she probably wouldn't be doing this job. she feels democracy shou

ashraf ghani ahmadzai's team thinks their man is heading to the palace with more than 60%. only zalmai rassoul is suggesting no one got more than 50%, meaning a run off is necessary, and he says he has enough votes to be one of the two. >> when the polls closed, ballots counted and results published on the wall. only when the election commission has 5% of the vote, will it announce the initial estimation of who won the presidential election. >> that provisional calculation should be released within the next few days. >> seb aftion younger is an author and war correspondent. he's the author of "war", and "estreppo", he joined me earlier and i asked what he thought was next for afghanistan? >> ironically, on 9/11 our tragedy brought some stability to that country. the taliban were knocked over very easily, and quite a period of stability started after 9/11. i don't think anyone could have imagined a relatively peaceful successful election like they had. if you go back 10-15 years, it would be inconceivable to a lot of people. >> they held elections, who should be in power the

the indication is that the frontrunners are abdullah abdullah and ashraf ghani could be headed to a run off. unless they get enough votes to tip them over the 50% plus one threshold. >> are you able to garner from where the results come in whether support for one candidate is because he has support in a particular area, or whether that is representative again of national sentiment. >> well, the election commission will say they tried to be as representative as possible. we were due to hear the results that were supposed to come out yesterday. there was a bit of wrangling over what percentage of votes should be revealed. we can't tell you particularly which provinces voted for who. there are the provinces of where the votes haven't come from. i don't know how we would have voted tore the candidates. we hope the election commission is rptive with this number that is released. >>. >> in the past couple of days we spoke to both the front runners. both would like o rein outright. both said if the polling is accurate, if there isn't widespread fraud, they'll accept the results of the first ro

former foreign minister abdullah abdullah has secured 40% of the vote with ashraf ghani on 38%. a run off might be likely next month. once elected, the country democratically would have transferred power. >> to win the afghanistan presidential election, the leading contender needs to get more than 50% of the vote. there are results coming in, some being released next week. the final tally, announcement will be mid may. at this stage, while the figures could change, it looks like abdullah abdullah, and ghani will be headed for a run off. they will take part if it looks like the election was conducted fairly . whilst it looks like there has been fraud, not enough to affect the outcome. afghanistan may not know who their next president will be until the end of october when the final results are in and counted and disputes dealt with. >> christians are celebrating the beginning of holy week. thousands filling st. peter's square, celebrating mass with the pope. jess us went to the jerusalem, seven days later he died. pilgrims re traced the steps that jesus is alleged to have walked s

the frontrunners ashraf ghani ahmadzai used to be the finance minister, and holds a ph.d. from columbia and worked for the world bank for more than a record. then there's rousz are, the top -- rousz , the top -- zalmai rassoul, the top specific. he was the finance minister and unmarried. which is unusual for a minister. >> abdullah abdullah ran in 2009 but finished a distant second to hamid karzai. he was a former eye doctor. he has been the foreign minister. >> let's talk about zalmai rassoul. he's the one considered to be most like hamid karzai. jane ferguson looks at what his victory could mean. >> each those hoping to run this country can't travel by road. the presidential helicopter lands at a spot which is a 2-hour drive from the capital, a journey too dangerous for him. previously foreign minister zalmai rassoul is seen as hamid karzai's chosen successor. that support, however, could come with a legacy of corruptionlinged to the government -- corruption linked to the government. >> the hamid karzai government will be well-known for a long time for horrendous levels

he will likely face off against ashraf ghani. results will be made final next month. >> next, we're digging up dirt in the garden state, which brings us to today's trivia question. how many of the past four elected mayors of newark were indict indicted? no cheating. the first person to tweet the correct answer to @dailyrundown will get an on-air shout out. rir information safe & secure. century link. your link with what's next. constipated? .yea dulcolax tablets can cause cramps but not phillips. it has magnesium and works more naturally than stimulant laxatives. for gentle cramp free relief of occasional constipation that works! mmm mmm live the regular life. ameriprise asked people a simple question: in retirement, will you outlive your money? uhhh. no, that can't happen. that's the thing, you don't know how long it has to last. everyone has retirement questions. so ameriprise created the exclusive.. confident retirement approach. now you and your ameripise advisor can get the real answers you need. well, knowing gives you conf

but at this stage, while the figures could change, it looks like abdullah abdullah, and ashraf ghani are looking for a second-round run off. both saying they'll take part if they consider that the first round was conducted fairly. the election complaints commission said while there has been fraud, it's not at a significant enough level as affecting the outcome of the poll. therefore there'll almost certainly be a run off, but afghans may not know who the new president will be until, well the end of the october when the final results are in and counted and disputes dealt with. >> it's election time in the country known as africa's narco sit. guinea passau is a major trafficking point for drugs out of south america. it's spreading to countries, a haul picked up in neighbouring guinea. guinea passau is a poor nation with a history of coups since gaining independence from portugal in 1974. the last two years ago. there's a corrupt and centralized leadership and inadequate and underfunded justice system. katherine soi is at a polling station. >> people here are hopeful the election will b

either ashraf ghani, dr. rassoul.e won't have the preliminary results until the 28th of april and even then, fareed, it's likely that will will lead to a runoff. that second election probably won't take place until the end of may. >>> anna, i know you were with the americans who were training the afghan national army and this election has been a success largely because of the security measures put in place. we don't have a lot of time. very briefly, what's your sense of what happens when the americans lead? do you think the afghan national army can stand on its own and deal with things like these elections? >> well, they certainly had an enormous test yesterday and they passed with flying colors. yes, all 350,000 of the afghan national security forces were out to protect the people at the polling stations, but earlier this week, fareed, we sat down with commander general joseph dun fi. he's in charge of the military operation in afghanistan. he said that the afghans are now running the show. yes, the u.s. is withdrawi

this time it's a big rally for ashraf ghani, former finance minister and world bank official.ut in this person tune stronghold, he's emphasizing his tribal credentials. he's pandering peace to an area that's seen some of the worst fighting. but why would the taliban want to talk? >> the reason they've talked to us is the context is different. the narm forces are not here in the kind of numbers that made them doubtful that they will ever leave. we have succeeded at the military transition. we have brought about a massive participation of the public in this election. democratic process is gaining ground and working. so the mandate that we will have is a very different mandate. >> reporter: we drive north of kabul to a rally for a candidate who believes the best people to run afghanistan are the men who fought its wars. abdul sayaf is an islamist scholar, one of the most notorious warlords. in the past decade he's been useful to the west. in this election he's even talking about women's rights. >> how is the campaign going? >> reporter: he only moves with his private army. he fou

the front runner is ashraf ghani ahmadzai, the finance minister and holds a ph.d. from colombus university. he worked for the west bank for a decade. then there's zalmai rassoul, his running mate is a woman. he is unmarried which is unusual. then there's abdullah abdullah, running in 2009, and finishing a distant second. he was a former eye during. let's talk about zalmai rassoul. he's the one believed to be darz's top pick. we have a look at what his fict ci can mean -- victory can mean. >> those that run the country can't travel the roads. this presidential helicopter lands at a spot that is a 2-hour drive from the capital, a journey too dangerous for him. previously foreign minister, zalmai rassoul is seen as hamid karzai's chosen successor. the support could come with a legacy of corruption linked to the government. >> the hamid karzai government will be very well-known for a long time for horrendous levels of corruption. you were part of that government. what will you do differently? >> i think i - first of all, i have not been involved in corruption issues. i

the three most prominent are: former finance minister ashraf ghani, and former foreign ministers abdullah abdullah and zalmai rassoul, widely reported to be karzai's favorite. many afghans say they are eager to have their say, with stability, prosperity and security uppermost in their minds. >> ( translated ): people in general are worried about the security situation but the upcoming election is a positive move towards changing our destiny, i hope everyone will participate in the election. >> sreenivasan: if successful, the election will mark the first democratic transition of power in the country's history. karzai has served since december of 2001, but his re-election to a second term was marred by allegations of extensive fraud. in addition, he's been criticized for an unwillingness to tackle corruption. karzai also refuses to sign a bilateral security agreement allowing some u.s. troops to remain in afghanistan. otherwise, all foreign forces will leave by year's end, and afghan security forces will be put to the test in keeping their country safe. karzai's would-be successors are expe

minister of foreign affairs garnered almost forty five percent of the electorate while his rival ashraf ghani god just over thirty one percent the country will most likely see a runoff and its first democratic transition of power earlier as he spoke to all who explained how afghanistan would fare with him at the helm. to think that if the u.s. troops leave today then tomorrow the peace and taliban will to go now there is no reason for doubt terrorist activities that suddenly lose your nor disillusionment so it's a reality unfortunately that the world continues. to be a consolation process but at the same time the citizens of afghanistan should be assured that they have rights will be put in afghanistan as much a bit out of it used to be before two thousand and one upon a stand is a rich country potentially rich country the terms of nights are just so says it's a trade in transit location that easier than if it is utilized in the best way so it's it decries multi-faceted development and program in order to move on and take off on a stone problem and where the u.s. preparing to scrap its missio

ashraf ghani, a former world bank official and finance minister, got just 3% of the vote in 2009 against karzai. he said this election presented a choice for the taliban, too: >> they are going to deal with a genuinely elected government that is keen to establish its links with the public, that represents the will of the public and they need to make a choice; are they afghans or agents of foreigners? >> warner: the third leading candidate is one-time karzai ally dr. abdullah abdullah; he served as foreign minister after the ouster of the taliban. >> ( translated ): today's event can be the beginning of the democratic process in the history of afghanistan and one step ahead toward a better future. >> warner: abdullah got nearly 30% against karzai in 2009 in an election marred by fraud, ballot-box stuffing and official corruption; by some accounts, more than a million of the 4.5 million votes cast were deemed fraudulent. at a dramatic gathering of his supporters in november that year, abdullah withdrew from the run-off against karzai, saying the fix was in. now some early unofficial estima

abdullah abdullah, the former opposition leader and ashraf ghani.ullah ran before once in the 2009 race. what would a victory bieth of these men mean for afghanistan, and of course, for our interests there? >> well, first of all, keep in mind that over the last decade despite the war afghan literacy rates have climbed dramatically, afghan urbanization rates have climbed dramatically. the afghan economy has climbed dramatically. this is a much different country than the one that the united states invaded in 2001, and so you have a far more sophisticated,anized society. i think anyone who you can hold an election and everyone can cheer, but a country only survives if there are institutions that can project its influence throughout the country, and that is not the case in afghanistan. in terms of these candidates, i think any of them or most of them would probably have a closer relationship, a less rocky relationship with the united states than outgoing afghan leader hamid karzai, who is going overboard to try to show how separated he was from the unit

. >> abdullah abdullah is a front runner, zalmai rassoul and ashraf ghani ahmadzai are the other two. one will have to win 50% of the vote to avoid a run off. the taliban told civilians they'll be targeted if they try to vote. plenty are ignoring the warning. there has been significant effort to minimise the fraud. ballot boxes are sealed, barcoded and tracked. each voter dips their finger in indelible ink. av gaps need a -- afghans need a proceed vote. >> more than a million afghan refugees live across the border in afghanistan. they are upset for not being allowed to vote. we go to a refugee champ in peshawar. >> it's another day of life at the refugee camp on the outskirts of peshawar city. movement refugees who have been living in the country for decades will not be able to take part in a crucial general election in afghanistan. now, in 2004, most people here in the camps did vote. it was that crucial vote which helped president hamid karzai win the election in afghanistan, but this time when a president hands over power to a newly elected president, the outgoing refugees will not

a former economist, ashraf ghani, has 42%. several million went to the polls in afghanistan to choose a successor for hamid karzai. this will be the first democratic transfer of power. >> the run-up to iraq's parliamentary election conditions to be violent. 15 were killed on saturday in baghdad, a day after a deadly attack. 36 people were killed at an election campaign rally. voting begins on wednesday. there'll be no security presence in the country. the last troops pulled out of iraq in 2011. tonight we'll talk about the challenges facing iraq as voters cast their ballot. join us for an indepth look at the election sunday night 8:30 eastern. >> the meeting of the annual isle association is under way in indiana. its leader gave a rally cry in support of gun rites. >> the people of the n.r.a. represent the very best of america's character and the best of america's strength. we tell the truth about what we believe. and we stand up for the values that we hold dear and our hearts. we are, and throughout history, we have always be

garnered almost forty five percent of the ballots while his rival former world bank economist ashraf ghani got a little more than thirty one percent next leader will face huge security challenges after the pullout of western forces with the taliban maintaining its insurgency mr abdullah told r.t. he thinks he's up to the task. to think that if the u.s. troops leave to date then tomato the peace and taliban will say oh now there is no reason for doubt terrorist activities that suddenly lose your disillusionment so it's a reality unfortunately that the world continues needs to be a consultation process but at the same time the citizens of afghanistan should be assured that they have lights will be put in afghanistan as much bit of it used to be before two thousand and one upon the stand is a rich country potentially rich country the times of messages so it says it's a trade in transit location that easier than if it is utilized and obviously so it's decries multifaceted development and program in order to move on and take off on a stone problem meanwhile the us reading to end once more than

the former foreign minister garnered almost forty five percent of the ballots while his rival ashraf ghani got just over thirty one percent looks like therefore now the there have to be a runoff in the country's first democratic transition of power earlier we spoke to our dollar bill or explain to us what course he put afghanistan on to think that if the u.s. troops leaves today then tomorrow the only piece in taliban will to go now there is no reason for our terrorist activities that suddenly lose or nor disillusionment so it's a reality unfortunately that the world continues needs to be a consolation process but at the same time the citizens of afghanistan should be assured that their votes will be put in afghanistan as much bit off then it used to be before two thousand and one afghanistan is a rich country potentially rich country in terms of natural resources it's a trade in transit location what is out there easier than if it is utilizing the best way so it's choir's multifaceted the development of a program in order to move on in take up on a stone problem. deliverability you can do

graduate of columbia university, ashraf ghani, he's seen as a more effective partner than karzai.an troops, maybe 6,000, 10,000 at the most. but that the afghan security forces will take the lead, which they should do, and if they can perform as they did today, this could be a positive foreign policy legacy for president obama. he doesn't want this to be like iraq. hell doesn't want the taliban taking over communities as has occurred in iraq in the last few months. so it is an important moment. and back to the middle east, what is this white house going to decide is its priority? >> you mentioned the middle east again. senator john mccain yesterday took john kerry's reality check statement saying, quote, in fact, it's reality check time for our entire foreign policy in the middle east. do you agree with him? >> i think the key to this -- i mentioned it earlier -- was this iran nuclear deal. it relates to putin as well. unprecedented economic sanctions, the tool that barack obama said would be the defining element of his foreign policy. he didn't invade countries like george w. bus

abdullah getting almost forty five percent of the ballots his rival former world bank economist ashraf ghani getting more than thirty one percent the next leader will face huge security challenges with the taliban staging attacks dr abdullah told us there's little hope of the insurgency dying down after western forces though with drawl. to think that if the u.s. troops leave to date bin tomato the peace and taliban will to go now there is no reason for doubt terrorist activities that suddenly luzhin or disillusionment so it's a reality unfortunately that the world continues needs to be a consolation process but at the same time the citizens of afghanistan should be assured that the headlights will be put in afghanistan is much bit out of then it used to be before two thousand and one upon a stand is a rich country potentially a rich country the terms of macs are just so says it's a trade in transit location that easier than if it is utilized in the best way so it's it decries multi-faceted development and program in order to move on and take off on a stone problem meanwhile the us is running