Hamid Karzai's chief rivals in Afghanistan's presidential election conceded defeat Thursday, a day after the U.S-backed interim leader was declared the winner. Yunus Qanooni, who finished second with 16 percent compared to Karzai's 55 percent, said he would accept the result of the Oct. 9 ballot. "For me, Afghanistan's national interests are the most important," Qanooni said at a news conference. Ethnic Hazara chieftain Mohammed Mohaqeq and the running mate of ethnic Uzbek strongman Abdul Rashid Dostum also said they would recognize Karzai as president.
