Kerry rushes to Afghanistan for urgent security talks
12 Oct 2013 6:33 AM IST
Kerry's unannounced visit to Kabul comes as talks on the Bilateral Security Agreement have foundered over issues of Afghan sovereignty despite a year of negotiations.
The US wants a deal by the end of the month, but the discussions have stalled over Karzai's demand for American guarantees against future foreign intervention and U.S. demands for any post-2014 residual force to be able to conduct counter-terrorism and counterinsurgency operations.
U.S. officials insist they are optimistic about a deal but the continuing deadlock leaves it doubtful that any agreement will be reached by month's end. If no deal is signed there will be no U.S. forces in Afghanistan after 2014. Officials traveling with Kerry told reporters aboard the secretary's plane that the U.S. continues to believe the Oct. 31 deadline is "doable and desirable" and that failing to meet it would create significant problems.
They said uncertainty caused by the lack of an agreement by the end of the month would make it more difficult to plan the next phases of withdrawal from Afghanistan and could erode the resolve of NATO allies that are considering leaving troops there for training.
Without the United States on board, it is unlikely that NATO or any of its allies would keep troops in Afghanistan.
The US wants a deal by the end of the month, but the discussions have stalled over Karzai's demand for American guarantees against future foreign intervention and U.S. demands for any post-2014 residual force to be able to conduct counter-terrorism and counterinsurgency operations.
U.S. officials insist they are optimistic about a deal but the continuing deadlock leaves it doubtful that any agreement will be reached by month's end. If no deal is signed there will be no U.S. forces in Afghanistan after 2014. Officials traveling with Kerry told reporters aboard the secretary's plane that the U.S. continues to believe the Oct. 31 deadline is "doable and desirable" and that failing to meet it would create significant problems.
They said uncertainty caused by the lack of an agreement by the end of the month would make it more difficult to plan the next phases of withdrawal from Afghanistan and could erode the resolve of NATO allies that are considering leaving troops there for training.
Without the United States on board, it is unlikely that NATO or any of its allies would keep troops in Afghanistan.
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