KABUL: A US-Afghan security deal over the role of US forces in Afghanistan after 2014 may not be finalized as Afghan President Hamid Karzai said that he may not sign it, adding that he will consult the traditional Afghan grand assembly before signing the pact.
“The agreement [with the US] has to suit Afghanistan’s interests and purposes. If it doesn’t suit us and if it doesn’t suit them, then naturally we will go separate ways,” Karzai said in an interview in Kabul.
Karzai also condemned US-led NATO forces for causing a lot of suffering in Afghanistan without delivering gains. He said that NATO failed to provide security and stability to the people of war-torn country.
On the other hand, the Obama Administration expressed optimism that a US-Afghan agreement over the future role of American troops in Afghanistan can still be finalized in the next few weeks.
A State Department spokeswoman said these kinds of negotiations are complex with but urged Kabul to stay focused to conclude the accord this month.
The United States wants to keep some 10, 000 troops in Afghanistan to go after the remnants of al-Qaeda but if no agreement is signed‚ all US troops would have to leave by the end of the next year.
