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Afghans reject impunity for US troops: Politician

Iran Press TV

Sun Oct 13, 2013 6:8PM GMT

A prominent Afghan politician has insisted on not giving immunity to American troops leaving the fate of a bilateral security pact unknown, Press TV reports.

Former Afghan premier Ahmad Shah Ahmadzai said in an interview with Press TV on Sunday that the Afghan nation does not want foreign forces to stay in their country after 2014.

He also noted that the controversial pact goes against the wishes and interests of the whole nation.

Shah Ahmadzai also demanded the US administration to withdraw all its troops from the war-ravaged country as soon as possible.

His remarks come after talks between President Hamid Karzai and US Secretary of State John Kerry on the security deal bore no fruit.

The two sides remained at odds on the issue of immunity for American troops. Washington says there will be no deal without immunity while Kabul considers it a violation of its sovereignty.

Kabul and Washington are also at odds over US demands for the right to conduct unilateral military operations, and how the US would pledge to protect 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 issue has been a main source of friction between the two administrations as civilians mostly fall victim to the deadly attacks.

President Karzai has recently told British media that he is not ready to sign the deal as long as it does not suit Afghanistan's interests and purposes. Karzai has ruled out signing the deal with the United States until disagreements over sovereignty issues, night raids and civilian causalities are resolved.

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 recent development has once again dashed American hopes that the pact can be finalized quickly.

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

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/PR