Afghanistan, US Sign Long-awaited Security Pact
Afghanistan and the United States signed a security pact on Tuesday to allow U.S. forces to remain in the country past the end of year, ending a year of uncertainty over the fate of foreign...
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Afghanistan, US Sign Long-awaited Security Pact - Video
The United States and Afghanistan sign a security deal that allows some American troops to remain in Afghanistan beyond 2014, ensuring a continuing U.S. presence in the region. (Reuters)
KABUL The United States and Afghanistan on Tuesday signed a vital, long-delayed security deal that will allow nearly 10,000 American troops to remain in Afghanistan beyond the final withdrawal of U.S. and international combat forces this year.
The Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA), and a separate pact signed with NATO, permit the continued training and advising of Afghan security forces, as well as counterterrorism operations against remnants of al-Qaeda. The signing of the documents comes as Taliban insurgents are increasing their attacks in an effort to regain control in anticipation of the combat troops departure.
The accord was signed a day after Ashraf Ghani was sworn in as Afghanistans new president in a power-sharing government, marking the first democratic handover of power in the nations history. Ghanis predecessor, Hamid Karzai, who had presided over the country since shortly after the Taliban was driven from power in 2001, had refused to sign the agreement, souring relations with Washington.
President Obama called it a historic day and said in a statement that the signing came after nearly two years of hard work by negotiating teams on both sides. Critics, particularly Republican lawmakers, have charged that the failure to negotiate a similar agreement in Iraq that would have allowed U.S. troops to stay in that country contributed to the rise of the threat from Islamic State militants there.
Although Obama had considered a complete withdrawal from Afghanistan, he announced in May that up to 9,800U.S. troops would remain, provided that the agreement was signed, until the end of 2015. The accord allows U.S. basing at nine separate locations across Afghanistan.
The troop number is to be cut in half by 2016, with American forces thereafter based only in Kabul and at Bagram air base. By the end of 2017, the U.S. force is to be further reduced in size to what U.S. officials have called a normal military advisory component at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, most likely numbering several hundred.
The agreement also prevents U.S. military personnel from being prosecuted under Afghan laws for any crimes they may commit; instead, the United States has jurisdiction over any criminal proceedings or disciplinary action involving its troops inside the country. The provision does not apply to civilian contractors.
The NATO agreement, closely coordinated with the U.S. document, ensures that troops from countries including Germany and Italy will also stay, although in much smaller numbers.
State Department officials in Washington did not specify the scope and nature of the ongoing counterterrorism operations, which are to be conducted in partnership with Afghan forces. A number of al-Qaeda operatives have been ensconced for some time in the rugged mountains of eastern Afghanistan near the Pakistani border.
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U.S., Afghanistan sign long-delayed security pact
The United States and Afghanistan sign a security deal that allows some American troops to remain in Afghanistan beyond 2014, ensuring a continuing U.S. presence in the region. (Reuters)
KABUL The United States and Afghanistan on Tuesday signed a vital, long-delayed security deal that will allow nearly 10,000 American troops to remain in Afghanistan beyond the final withdrawal of U.S. and international combat forces this year.
The Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA), and a separate pact signed with NATO, permit the continued training and advising of Afghan security forces, as well as counterterrorism operations against remnants of al-Qaeda. The signing of the documents comes as Taliban insurgents are increasing their attacks in an effort to regain control in anticipation of the combat troops departure.
The accord was signed a day after Ashraf Ghani was sworn in as Afghanistans new president in a power-sharing government, marking the first democratic handover of power in the nations history. Ghanis predecessor, Hamid Karzai, who had presided over the country since shortly after the Taliban was driven from power in 2001, had refused to sign the agreement, souring relations with Washington.
President Obama called it a historic day and said in a statement that the signing came after nearly two years of hard work by negotiating teams on both sides. Critics, particularly Republican lawmakers, have charged that the failure to negotiate a similar agreement in Iraq that would have allowed U.S. troops to stay in that country contributed to the rise of the threat from Islamic State militants there.
Although Obama had considered a complete withdrawal from Afghanistan, he announced in May that up to 9,800U.S. troops would remain, provided that the agreement was signed, until the end of 2015. The accord allows U.S. basing at nine separate locations across Afghanistan.
The troop number is to be cut in half by 2016, with American forces thereafter based only in Kabul and at Bagram air base. By the end of 2017, the U.S. force is to be further reduced in size to what U.S. officials have called a normal military advisory component at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, most likely numbering several hundred.
The agreement also prevents U.S. military personnel from being prosecuted under Afghan laws for any crimes they may commit; instead, the United States has jurisdiction over any criminal proceedings or disciplinary action involving its troops inside the country. The provision does not apply to civilian contractors.
The NATO agreement, closely coordinated with the U.S. document, ensures that troops from countries including Germany and Italy will also stay, although in much smaller numbers.
State Department officials in Washington did not specify the scope and nature of the ongoing counterterrorism operations, which are to be conducted in partnership with Afghan forces. A number of al-Qaeda operatives have been ensconced for some time in the rugged mountains of eastern Afghanistan near the Pakistani border.
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U.S. and Afghanistan sign vital, long-delayed security pact
KABUL, Afghanistan, Sept. 30 (UPI) -- A day after Afghanistan's first democratically-elected president was sworn in, the new government signed a much delayed security agreement with the U.S. and NATO.
Afghanistan's newly-appointed national security adviser, Hanif Atmar, and U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan James Cunningham signed the Bilateral Security Agreement on Tuesday afternoon at the presidential palace in Kabul.
The agreement establishes a legal framework for the U.S. to train, advise and assist Afghan national security forces, and allows for the U.S. and international partners to provide necessary financial support to the Afghan forces.
U.S. President Barack Obama announced in May that a signed agreement would permit approximately 9,800 U.S. troops to remain in Afghanistan beyond 2014. There are currently around 24,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, the Pentagon noted.
The signing of the BSA was long delayed due to former Afghan President Hamid Karzai's refusal to sign. With an unclear post-2014 plan for U.S. involvement in Afghanistan, Obama warned Karzai in February that the U.S. would be forced to consider a full military withdrawal by the end of 2014.
Without Karzai's approval, the Obama Administration acknowledged in the intervening months that a continuing U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan was contingent upon Afghanistan's new leadership signing the BSA.
Obama explained Tuesday that the eventual signing of the BSA was the result of "nearly two years of hard work by negotiating teams on both sides."
The U.S. Embassy in Kabul hailed the signing of the BSA as "another important step in solidifying our strong bilateral relationship and an essential component for supporting Afghanistan's long-term security."
The BSA will go into effect on January 1, 2015.
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen also applauded the signing of the Status of Forces Agreement between NATO and Afghanistan on Tuesday, paving the way for the NATO-led Resolute Support mission to begin on January 1.
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Afghanistan signs Bilateral Security Agreement with U.S.
A daily roundup on terrorism and security issues.
Afghanistan and the United States signed a long-delayed security pact Tuesday, ensuring that American troops can stay in the country after the end of the year, in the first major step of newly inaugurated President Ashraf Ghani.
The Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) was signed by US Ambassador James Cunningham and Afghanistans National Security Advisor Hanif Atmar, in a televised ceremony at the presidential palace, Reuters reports.
Under the agreement, up to9,800 US soldiers are allowed to stay in Afghanistan after the end of combat operations this year, to help train and advise Afghan military and police forces. A separate pact also signed with NATO Tuesday allows for a small force of roughly 3,000 international troops.
The signing of the security arrangements comes a day after Mr. Ghani was sworn in as Afghanistans second president and signals his desire to reset ties with the US after his predecessor, Hamid Karzai, angered Washington by refusing to ink the agreement.
Mr. Karzai stunned Afghans and international officials alike byrefusing to sign the security dealwith Washington even after it had been approved by the Loya Jirga gathering of local representatives in November, of 2013, the Wall Street Journal writes.
Mr. Karzai, whose ties with the West had soured in recent years, said the agreements would undermine chances for peace with the Taliban, who remain a formidable threat to the central government.
Both Ghani and his campaign opponent Abdullah Abdullah had promised to sign the BSA as a first priority in office. The bitterly disputed and drawn-out election, results of which were delayed due to Mr. Abdullahs accusations of mass fraud, had raised fears that no new president would be in place to sign the deal.
The signing of the security pacts was also a precondition to the continued dispersement of foreign aid. Afghanistan government is hugely reliant on foreign aid a World Bank study in May found that in the year to Sept. 30, 2011, foreign aid was the equivalent of Afghanistans entire GDP, the Economist notes.
The security agreements are directly linked to the continued delivery of billions of dollars in aid that the Afghan government and its armed forces need to survive," The Wall Street Journal writes.
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Crisis averted? Afghanistan, US sign security pact (+video)