U.S., Afghanistan draft blueprint for future

The U.S. and Afghanistan completed negotiations on a strategic partnership to govern relations during and after the withdrawal of the main U.S. combat forces from the country by 2014, according to statements issued by officials in both nations.

President Hamid Karzai’s national security adviser, Rangin Dadfar Spanta, initialled a final draft of the agreement with U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker, said the emailed statements on Saturday from Karzai’s office and the U.S. Embassy in Kabul.

The agreement took more than a year to negotiate amid tensions between the governments over combat tactics, killings of Afghan civilians and the shape of a U.S. military presence in the country after the 2014 pullout. With the announcement, the two sides have a month to review and sign the deal by the May 21 NATO summit conference in Chicago.

Both governments will review the draft with their legislatures before it is signed, according to e-mailed state- ments from Karzai’s office and from the U.S. National Security Council spokesman, Tommy Vietor.

Karzai has demanded that his government control Afghan prisoners held by U.S. forces and an end to nighttime raids by special operations troops who swoop in on homes to capture suspected Taliban fighters or organizers. Karzai has said the raids are a cause of civilian casualties and of Afghan public anger at U.S. forces.

“Until the agreement is finalized, we’re not in a position to discuss the elements it contains,” U.S. Embassy spokesman Gavin Sundwall said in an e-mail.