Obama breaking pledge on Afghan war

An analyst says the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) between the United States and Afghanistan to keep troops in the occupied nation “through 2024 and beyond” will not bode well with the American people as it goes against President Obama’s promise to end the war.

James Jatras, former US Senate foreign policy analyst, said in a phone interview with Press TV on Thursday: “The American people are not going to like this. I think Obama was elected largely in the strength of the reaction to Bush’s policies in Iraq and Afghanistan. I don’t think people want to see Americans stay in Afghanistan any longer than what Obama promised.”
Deep disagreements over issues of legal immunity for American soldiers and the controversial night raids by foreign troops have held up the security pact but reports suggest its draft is more or less finalized.
According to a draft of the security deal released by the Afghan Foreign Ministry on Wednesday, US troops remaining in the country after the 2014 withdrawal deadline would enjoy immunity from Afghan courts. The troops will be subject to American justice instead of local courts.
According to the BSA wording, “the United States shall have the exclusive right to exercise jurisdiction” over its forces “in respect of any criminal or civil offenses committed in the territory of Afghanistan.”
The deal will reportedly allow US night raids on Afghan homes to continue in “exceptional circumstances” as demanded by Secretary of State John Kerry.