Afghan Spokesman: US Agrees to Conditions on Troop Conduct
by VOA News November 19, 2013
An Afghan government spokesman says the United States has agreed not to allow its forces to raid and search the homes of ordinary Afghans, under a proposed security agreement to govern the presence of forces in Afghanistan after most foreign troops leave next year.
The U.S. assurance came during a phone conversation between Secretary of State John Kerry and Afghan President Hamid Karzai late Tuesday Kabul time, Karzai spokesman Emal Faizi told a news briefing.
The Afghan spokesman said President Barack Obama also has agreed to write a letter to the Afghan people acknowledging mistakes made in the 'war on terror.'
Searches of Afghan homes by U.S. forces had emerged as a sticking point in negotiations and threatened to derail the Bilateral Security Agreement between the U.S. and Afghanistan.
Faizi said the U.S. guarantee that the searches will stop will be contained in a letter Obama will send to Karzai ahead of a Loya Jirga [traditional assembly] that Karzai has called to discuss the agreement.
In Obama's letter, 'the United States government will provide guarantees the mistakes committed in the past by US military forces won't be repeated and they will be prevented," said Faizi.
Asked whether U.S. forces will be allowed to carry out military operations, Faizi said the decision will be decided by the Loya Jirga.
About 2,500 delegates, including members of parliament, provincial government officials and representatives of civil society, will attend the three-day gathering in Kabul this week.
Kabul remains on high alert with offices closed and dozens of checkpoints set up along the route leading to the site of the gathering.
A car bomb near the site of the Jirga killed more than 10 people on Saturday.
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