BIG TROUBLE IN RUG COUNTRY - AT 5:44 P.M. ET:  The main challenger in Afghanistan's runoff election for president is scheduled to pull out of the contest, throwing its legitimacy into confusion, and complicating American efforts:

KABUL — President Hamid Karzai's challenger plans to call for a boycott of next weekend's runoff election, hoping to force a delay until spring to allow time to organize a fair vote, his campaign manager said Saturday.

In the meantime, ex-Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah wants an interim government to run the country, Satar Murad told The Associated Press.

Abdullah has called a press conference for 10 a.m. Sunday to announce his final decision after Afghans and Westerners close to the challenger said he would withdraw from the second round scheduled for Nov. 7. His campaign manager said the candidate might still change his mind, but that "as of now" he planned to call for a boycott.

That decision came after Karzai rejected a series of Abdullah's demands, including removal of the top three election officials allegedly linked to widespread fraud in the Aug. 20 balloting.

At the same time, there is news that President Obama has asked for still more troop requirement studies from the Pentagon, hoping to whittle down General McChrystal's request to something, apparently, that the far left in Obama's party can live with.

Obama has now compromised McChrystal so much, and humiliated him so much, that it's hard to see any honorable way for McChrystal to stay on.  The president seems to be making Democratic Party decisions rather than national decisions.  We will not be safer for his effort, if there is any effort involved.

October 31, 2009