Taliban militants slam Afghan elders for approving US security pact
Iran Press TV
Sun Nov 24, 2013 6:27PM GMT
The Taliban militants have directed their anger at Afghanistan's grand assembly of elders after it endorsed a controversial security deal with the US.
The condemnation comes after grand assembly of Afghan tribal elders and politicians endorsed the pact with Washington on Sunday.
In a statement, the militants condemned the deal as a pact of slavery. The statement also said the deal would benefit neither side.
Taliban militants had earlier threatened to kill the members of Loya Jirga known as the grand assembly of elders if they allow the US to set up permanent military bases in Afghanistan.
The approval for the deal was announced on the final day of intensive talks among tribal elders who were tasked with deciding the fate of the deal. The security deal allows the US to keep thousands of its troops in Afghanistan beyond the 2014 withdrawal date of foreign troops.
The US has urged Afghan President Hamid Karzai to sign the pact as soon as possible-- a demand rejected by the Afghan president.
This comes while the Afghan president has said the agreement won't be signed until after the 2014 election, adding that he will only sign the agreement if the US brings peace to Afghanistan.
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.
Meanwhile, 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.
JR/PR
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