So did we buy Abdullah Abdullahoff?

My guess is that we did. but he probably was not going to beat Karzai and it takes the citizenry out of harms way regarding goint to the polls,

So to say.

The election was scheduled and Karzai would win. We would call it a victory for democracy. Had we paid him off, he likely would have conceded soon after the first election - saying that even with highest estimates of fraud, Karzai was likely very near 50%

In fact, the percent is so close after eliminating millions of bogus votes, it is still possible that it really exceeded the threshold. I don't think there was serious investigation of the votes of others, including Abdullah, who was also accused of fraud. If those votes were seriously examined, could they lower the denomination enough to make it 50%.

Let's assume for a second that Karzai really wanted to be more legitimate. (There is not real evidence of this, but it is what the US wants.) What this does is leave a very weakened Karzai as President, with no fast, easy way to show that he is reforming. I wish Karzai had agreed to many of Abdullah's conditions as having done so would have made him look more credible.

I agree with you, it would only make Karzai look less legitimate.
Abdullah also suspended his campaign seemingly out of protest that the board that would review the votes had many pro Karzai people on it that were there for the first round of voting. It does not sound like someone who was paid off, he would be saying Karzai is the legitimate winner.

people in and replaced many of his people - especially those at the top. Abdullah had nothing to gain from the runoff - that he has gained with this pull out. Karzai was the loser here - in that the intent was to give him more legitimacy and instead his integrity is hit again..

and did not believe the runoff was legitimate anyway. Karzai has little trust from his own people. I don't see how we can trust him either but there is really no one else.

in a short or long run. :shrug: