Afghan deputy minister of women affairs and candidate in upcoming elections talks with staff in Kabul. Najiba Charif, Afghanistan's deputy minister of women's affairs and a candidate in the upcoming parliamentary elections, talks with her staff in her house in Kabul August 18, 2005. A violently resurgent Taliban will not hamper Afghanistan's historic elections next month and local enthusiasm will ensure the polls are a success, Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah said on Thursday. Abdullah said the environment in most of Afghanistan would be conducive to free and fair elections on September 18 despite increased attacks by the Taliban, who were ousted by U.S.-led forces for hiding leaders of terrorist network al Qaeda. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra