WASHINGTON (AP) – Secretary of State John Kerry said today that the United States and Afghanistan have agreed on the final language of a bilateral security agreement that would govern the presence of American troops in the country after the NATO combat mission ends next year.
Kerry said the language, which followed months of tense negotiations, will be reflected in the draft proposal being presented tomorrow to 3 000 prominent Afghans from across the nation when they meet in Kabul to consider the agreement.
Approval by the council of elders, known as the Loya Jirga, is not guaranteed. The group can revise or reject any clause of the draft agreement, and a flat-out rejection would most likely prevent the Afghan government from signing it. The Afghan parliament also needs to approve it.
“We have agreed on the language that would be submitted to the Loya Jirga, but they have to pass it,” Kerry said during a news conference with Australian officials and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel.
While U.S. officials have not yet disclosed the number of U.S. troops they want to keep in Afghanistan post-2014, Kerry said the role of the U.S. military would be “limited”.
“It is entirely [to] train, equip and assist. There is no combat role for United States forces, and the bilateral security agreement is a way to try to clarify for Afghans and for United States military forces exactly what the rules are with respect to that ongoing relationship,” he said.
“It is very important for President Karzai to know that issues that he has raised with us for many years have been properly addressed. It is very important for us to know that issues we have raised with him over the years have been properly addressed,” he said.
