Afghanistan, US near deal on security

Agreement for post-2014 still needs OK from Karzai

WASHINGTON— The United States and Afghanistan have resolved most issues and are nearing completion of an agreement that paves the way for an American military presence after 2014 that will include a limited U.S. counterterrorism force and military advisers.

“We’re at the point now where we concluded the text,” said a senior State Department official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Without the so-called bilateral security agreement, the United States would be unable to remain beyond 2014, jeopardizing Afghan’s government and its armed forces.

The Afghans have agreed to continue to allow the United States to maintain legal jurisdiction over its troops in Afghanistan, a requirement the Pentagon said was not negotiable.

Without such a provision, U.S. forces could be tried by local courts.

The agreement needs final approval from Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who has frequently frustrated the United States in negotiations.

In negotiations over the bilateral security agreement, Afghans pushed for security guarantees from the United States, said Said Jawad, a former Afghanistan ambassador to the United States.

The Afghan military was designed for fighting an internal counterinsurgency and isn’t equipped with the fighter aircraft and other military equipment required to defend its borders, Jawad said.

The Afghans also wanted assurances of financial support included in the agreement. The State Department official said the U.S. could not spell out such guarantees in the document, which is limited to establishing a framework for the U.S. military presence there, but U.S. officials have tried to allay those concerns in discussions with Afghans.