U.S. lawmakers blocked a proposed "covert CIA [3] operation to aid [Iraqi] candidates favored by Washington" - suggested because their opponents might have "covert backing from other countries, like Iran." Leading up to Afghanistan's October 9 elections, U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad [4] stands accused of "pushing [5] behind the scenes to ensure [6] a convincing victory by the pro-American incumbent, President Hamid Karzai [7]." Author Rahul Mahajan recaps [8] the "well-documented history of 'managed' elections" in Afghanistan and Iraq. "Apparently, the Bush administration [9] is happy with elections in places it controls ... as long as there are no choices (when there are, as in Florida [10], strange things [11] can happen)."