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Neil Chandler's Blog

Fake blood and fakish elections

  Comments (0) Sunday, Aug 30, 2009

So we said we'd give the Afghans elections, and we did.Trouble is, it turns out we gave them one of Iran's.With claims of epic ballot-stuffing, voter intimidation, fraud and vote-rigging, this poll seems to be apeing the one that got Mahmoud Ahmedinejad back into power over the border in Tehran.The other key feature - a limbo-dancingly low t... Read Full Entry

The Foreign Office - speaking the Afghans' language?

  Comments (0) Friday, Aug 21, 2009

I did a bit of digging the other day trying to answer this question: how many of our Foreign Office types out in Afghanistan can speak the local lingo?It was inspired by an MPs' foreign affairs report, which claimed none of our diplomats in the 'Stan could speak Pashto and only two service types could.That can't be true, I thought. Read Full Entry

And the winner of the Afghan election? Andrew Strauss.

  Comments (0) Wednesday, Aug 19, 2009

Now here’s an angle on the Afghanistan election I guarantee you won’t read anywhere else. Why oh why... Read Full Entry

NO, REALLY: TOLDYA SO!

  Comments (0) Wednesday, Aug 5, 2009

Time for some self-congratulation here at Britain’s best-read blog. Firstly, the huge drugs scandal at Bath Rugby Club was first predicted in this newspaper back in February Read Full Entry

TOLDYA SO!

  Comments (0) Wednesday, Aug 5, 2009

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