
Afghanistan's opposition candidate backed Gen. Stanley McChrystal's recommendations for more troops Sunday, saying "the future of the country is at risk" without a "dramatic increase" in troop levels.
Former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah, who faces off against President Hamid Karzai in a Nov. 7 runoff, said on "Fox News Sunday" that he's also leaving open the possibility of an election boycott if recommendations aren't met to ensure transparency and stem fraud in the second round of voting.
Abdullah stressed to Fox host Chris Wallace, however, that a boycott is not currently in the works. "I don't want to give a message to our people so that momentum to campaign is lost," he said. Still, "it will be a very serious situation if we are up against same conditions that we went through in the first round," he added.
On CNN's "State of the Union," Abdullah said that the “failures” of the
current Afghan government have prevented progress in the country.
Afghanistan has missed the “golden opportunity” because of “loss of
focus” by a “highly centralized incompetent system that cannot deliver
to the people.”
Abdullah also ruled out a power-sharing coalition government with Karzai. "I think I should rule it out becuase I'm ready to go for a runoff," he said on Fox. "I'm focusing at this stage to provide the relevant institutions... to ensure the transparency of the Afghanistan elections."
Karzai said on CNN Sunday that a runoff election has to be held.
“We must have a second round; if we do not do that we will be insulting democracy,” Karzai said.
On "Fox News Sunday," Senate Armed Services Committee chairman Carl LevinCarl Milton LevinSen. Gillibrand, eyeing 2020 bid, rankles some Democrats The Hill's 12:30 Report Congress needs bipartisanship to fully investigate Russian influence MORE (D-Mich.) said the U.S. should place pressure on the electoral process without interfering, and opined that it would be a "mistake" for Abdullah to take the boycott route.
In both of his Sunday appearances, Abdullah was clear on his opinion that more U.S.-led NATO forces are needed on the ground in his country.
"There is a need for more troops," Abdullah said when asked about President Barack ObamaBarack Hussein ObamaDems flip New York state seat that Republicans have held for nearly four decades Trump denies clemency to 180 people Mellman: Memories may be beautiful, yet… MORE's policy review on Fox. "There is no doubt about it.
"At the same time, when is the best time? Even if the decision is made today it doesn't mean tomorrow we will have troops on the ground."
Karzai said on CNN that any arrival
of more U.S. forces to Afghanistan must enhance the protection of the
Afghan people and the ability of the Afghan security forces to take on
the protection of the population.
“They have to come as liberators as they came in 2002 and not
otherwise,” Karzai said of the perception that U.S. forces could be
seen as occupiers.
An ideal strategy would lead to decreases in the number of troops "a few years down the road," Abdullah said on Fox, but action is needed in the country to stabilize the security situation.
"The future of this country will be at risk and the future of enagagement of the international community will be at risk," Abdullah said.
"This situation requires a sort of dramatic increase in the number of troops in order to stop it from further deteriorating and reversing it."
Still, Karzai's former foreign minister stressed, it's "very difficult to give any sort of a timetable" for success.
“The security situation is deteriorating unfortunately,” Abdullah said on CNN. “It can be reversed…we still have time.” But he warned that troops alone cannot stabilize the situation without a credible government.
Abdullah reiterated on CNN that he shared the assessment of McChrystal, who has reportedly recommended a surge of 40,000 troops, that the situation is deteriorating and that more international troops are needed “at this stage.” Abdullah also said that it is also important to consider a “road map” of drawing down U.S. and other international troops.
On "Fox News Sunday," Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) reiterated the GOP push for the White House to follow McChrystal's recommendations.
"Republicans want very much to support the president's decision," Kyl said, and will if he backs the general's call for more troops. "Time is of the essence here."
Levin, meanwhile, accused Republican Party forces -- not Kyl, he stressed -- of putting undue pressure on the president to reach a decision on Afghanistan strategy quickly.
"The president is taking an appropriate amount of time," Levin said.
On "Meet the Press," Sen. Charles Schumer

"I am wrestling with it myself ...and boy, is it difficult," Schumer said. "... There is no clear answer."
This story was updated at 1:55 p.m.