Tom Hayden, Nawaz in court? Fake Afghan Poll Sites Favored Karzai,

In an interview with SPIEGEL ONLINE, veteran antiwar demonstrator Tom Hayden speaks about the coming 'storm of protest' over the war in Afghanistan, growing disillusionment among the American left and the current re-evaluation -- sometimes even from the right -- of whether it is truly a 'necessary war.'
SPIEGEL ONLINE: NATO air strikes called in by German commanders have reportedly killed dozens of civilians in Afghanistan. Do you think this will generate more support for your antiwar movement?
Tom Hayden: This incident will cause even greater opposition in Germany, where 70 percent of the population is already opposed to the fighting in Afghanistan. NATO's policy is unsustainable -- but the drive to escalate and to not appear to be losing is very powerful among politicians, including German ones. But our protest movement is becoming more vocal day-by-day, above all in the United Kingdom, Canada and Germany. I spoke in Berlin and Heidelberg during the Iraq war, and I expect to be back. Tom Hayden [thanks FK]


Pakistan's Supreme court is set to hear petitions seeking the prosecution of the main opposition leader, Nawaz Sharif, for murder. According to documents obtained by the BBC, the court will hear the accusations against Mr Sharif and then decide whether to pursue the charges.
The petitions call for Mr Sharif's arrest and prosecution. He has denied ordering the murder of an ex-army officer after an alleged political kickbacks deal turned sour. Nawaz Sharif, twice elected as Pakistan's prime minister, has recently been acquitted of similar criminal charges by the Supreme Court. The court's decision was made on 21 July but it is expected to begin its inquiries imminently. Nawaz Sharif faces murder inquiry

KABUL, Afghanistan — Afghans loyal to President Hamid Karzai set up hundreds of fictitious polling sites where no one voted but where hundreds of thousands of ballots were still recorded toward the president’s re-election, according to senior Western and Afghan officials here. Fake Afghan Poll Sites Favored Karzai, Officials Assert [thanks FK]


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