‘US must respect Afghan sovereignty’
‘US must respect Afghan sovereignty’
Afghan President Hamid Karzai has reaffirmed that his country will not sign the so-called Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) with the United States until Washington meets Kabul’s conditions.
In a Saturday meeting with a group of US Congressmen in the Afghan capital, Kabul, Karzai emphasized once again that any future security deal between the two countries should fully respect Afghanistan’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, the president’s office said in a statement.
According to Karzai, a future deal between Washington and Kabul should also guarantee the “return of peace and stability” to the war-torn country.
The BSA allows thousands of American troops to remain in Afghanistan beyond the 2014 deadline for withdrawal of foreign forces.
Kabul says the US night raids must be carried out under Afghan authority under a future security deal, stressing that American forces must face justice in Afghanistan in case of committing crimes. Washington has so far refused to accept the demands.
The United States has been pressuring the Afghan president to sign the pact but he has so far defied Washington’s pressure, saying the matter should be left to the next government after the April election in Afghanistan.
Washington has repeatedly stated that it cannot wait until after the April election for the approval of the deal. Afghanistan’s presidential election is slated to be held on April 5.
The US and its allies invaded Afghanistan in 2001 as part of Washington’s so-called war on terror. The offensive removed the Taliban from power, but the country is still gripped by insecurity.
