US, Afghans seek to protect voters from Taliban

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LOY KAREZ, Aug 13 (AP): The notes appear at night, border police say, dropped off around town, always with the same ominous message: Don't vote or we'll slit your throat.
Even if the Taliban don't make good on those threats, such warnings alone could be enough to keep many Afghans at home on the August 20 election. US troops moving into remote areas are hoping to bolster public confidence that it will be safe to vote.
In the dust-blown town of Loy Karez in Kandahar province, there's reason to be scared. Bands of Taliban fighters can be seen in the area every week. They've raided the town at night, usually attacking the main market, and have planted bombs in the hills to protect their hide-outs, police say.
Last week, American soldiers of Bear Troop, 5th Stryker Brigade rolled into Loy Karez, 30 kilometres from the Pakistani border, to check out the town's two planned polling stations and make sure police had a plan to protect voters.
It was the soldiers' first patrol in Afghanistan - their first up-close-and-personal encounter with local Afghan authorities since arriving in the country last month as part of President Barack Obama's troop surge.
The Americans' role requires them to be part diplomat, part warrior.