Great Satan US backs post 2014 stay in Afghanistan

US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel says Washington supports the presence of US military presence in Afghanistan beyond the 2014 deadline for the withdrawal of foreign forces.

Hagel made the remark at a US military base in Afghanistan’s southern province of Helmand on Sunday.
Hagel is on a surprise visit to Afghanistan as Washington is frustrated over Afghan president’s refusal to sign a bilateral security deal.
The visit comes amid a stand-off between the US and Afghan leaders over the security agreement.
Hagel acknowledged “uncertainty about what happens next” for NATO forces after 2014.
A meeting between Hagel and Afghan president Hamid Karzai is not on the agenda.
But the US defense minister has already met with his Afghan counterpart Bismillah Khan Mohammadi in Kabul.
Many Afghans believe the US is envisaging permanent military bases there. Afghan political groups have also warned that things will get worse should the US set up permanent military bases in Afghanistan.