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As few as 150 people may have voted in the Afghanistan presidential poll in an area of the country seized from the Taliban by British forces at a heavy loss.
The alleged extremely low turnout in the Babaji area of Helmand province raised serious questions over Operation Panther's Claw, in which 10 British soldiers died.
Britain's ambassador to Kabul, Mark Sedwill, said it was too early to know how many people went to about a dozen polling stations in the area between Lashkar Gah and Gereshk in the southern province. But if the 150 figure is true, it would equate to 15 votes for every British life lost.
Panther's Claw had wider military objectives but before the poll last Thursday senior Foreign Office officials said a key point was that it would enable 80,000 more Afghans to vote.
Today officials played down any links between British deaths and the election. But Mr Sedwill admitted some voters had been terrorised into not voting by the Taliban — whose threats included cutting off the fingers of anyone who voted.
And in a blow for those hoping the British campaign had worked, he added: “The insurrection is spreading and has spread since 2006.” He added: “We expected the intimidation campaign would have some effect and clearly it did.”
During today's briefing on the Afghan elections a reporter put to him that questions would be asked about the turnout, particularly in “the area of Panther's Claw operation where an estimated 150 people voted out of a population of 80,000”.
Mr Sedwill did not deny the figure.
But he said: “This Operation Panther's Claw that took place in Helmand this summer was going to happen at some stage anyway.”
He also suggested there were signs that some Afghans may have gone to safer areas to cast their vote. There were about 400 insurgent attacks on the day of the election.
Mr Sedwill added: “Panther's Claw, although timed to try to improve security for people to move around for the election, was not specifically itself about the election.”
He was, however, visibly shaken at last night's bomb attack in Kandahar, which killed 40 Afghans and injured many more, saying: “It shows that the Taliban are targeting the Afghan people — which they have always denied.”
On the reported low turnout, Liberal Democrat defence spokesman Nick Harvey said: “If it's as pathetically small as that, then clearly one of the stated objectives (of the operation) has not been met.”
Mr Sedwill said it was still unclear who was likely to emerge the winner between president Hamid Karzai and former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah, though preliminary figures showed Mr Karzai holding a narrow lead.
Mr Sedwill praised the Afghan, as well as alliance, forces for their role in providing security for the election, although he acknowledged it had been an extremely violent day.
The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that another British soldier has died in hospital more than a week after he was wounded in an explosion in Afghanistan, taking the military death toll in the country since 2001 to 207.
Reader views (5)
It doesn't matter how many or how few Afghans vote in this present election, that is only one of the reasons why the UK are fighting alonside the Americans in HellmandDemocracy is a permanent concept not a fleeting thing. Walk away from there and the Taliban will recover all the ground they have lost and will embolden themselves to attack us on our own soil. We mustn't alow that to happen
- Keith Price, Luton England, 26/08/2009 16:28
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mark sedwell I hope you can still sleep at night after your ficticous propaganda this is not our war let the terrorist of the world fight it eg USA lets have a british say on it,more before more wasted life
- Basil, bussiere poitevine 87320 france, 26/08/2009 16:22
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they are quite happy doing their thing it might be a hell hole to us but it is their hell hole. them that do not accept that please go and exchange with one of the young men or women who are being sacrifice on this LOST CAUSE
- John Patrick Green, Nottingham, 26/08/2009 16:08
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In the name of humanity, when are our "leaders" going to deal with this tragic loss of our young soldiers, come home now, the Afghans do not deserve you !
- Brian Hughes, Llandudno. North Wales. U.K., 26/08/2009 16:06
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Exactly.So why are we still there fighting a lost cause?
Send the Blairs out there,they seemed to think this was worthwhile.
- Steve, London, 26/08/2009 14:56
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