Allegations of voter fraud in Afghanistan may be creating a rift between the United States and Britain.
Appearing on the BBC, US special envoy to Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke had remarkably different things to say about the situation in Afghanistan than British Foreign Secretary David Miliband did.
Downplaying the election controversy in Afghanistan, Mr. Holbrooke characterized the rampant allegations of fraud as the sloppy, but normal side effects of democracy. Mr. Miliband said free and fair are not how his government would describe the elections. And while Holbrooke suggested that delaying the vote through a recount would only help the Taliban, Miliband emphasized that allegations of fraud must be investigated.
Holbrooke insists a new election "ain't going to happen," while Miliband warns that the UK "will not be party to any whitewash."