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Afghan pres. seeks guarantees for US security pact

Iran Press TV

Sat Oct 12, 2013 7:4PM GMT

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has ruled out signing a security deal with the United States until disagreements over sovereignty issues, night raids and civilian causalities are resolved.

Speaking at a joint press conference with the US Secretary of State John Kerry, Karzai said they still remain divided on the immunity for foreign and US soldiers included in the Bilateral Security Agreement.

Karzai also said that Kerry had accepted his condition that US forces will stop air strikes and nighttime raids on the homes of Afghan civilians.

The issue has been a main source of friction between the two administrations as civilians mostly fall victim to the deadly attacks.

Kabul and Washington are at odds over US demands for the right to conduct unilateral military operations, and over how the US would pledge to protect Afghanistan.

Washington is pushing for the pact to be signed by the end of this month. The deal allows the US to keep its forces and bases in Afghanistan on a permanent basis.

The developments come after President Karzai told British media that he is not ready to sign the deal as long as it does not suit Afghanistan's interests and purposes.

The recent remarks by the Afghan president have once again dashed American hopes that the pact can be quickly finalized.

The collapse of a similar agreement with Iraq in 2011 led to the US pulling all its troops out of the country.

The developments also come as several Afghan political parties have recently heaped scorn on US-led forces for committing unforgivable crimes against Afghan women and children since invading the country in 2001.

The Islamic Movement of Afghanistan Party and several other political factions have released a statement warning that things will get worse should the US sets up its bases in Afghanistan.

Thousands of Afghan civilians, including a large number of women and children, have been killed during night raids by foreign forces and CIA-run assassination drone strikes.

The United States wants to keep thousands of troops in Afghanistan, but if no agreement is signed, all American troops would have to leave by December 31, 2014.

JR/SS