Riyadh begins property acquisition for major road development projects    Saudi minister explores strategic industrial and mining partnerships with top Russian firms    Riyadh's Creative District to welcome Italy's Istituto Marangoni    CMA approves major reforms to ease investment account access for foreign and local investors    Saudi Arabia reaffirms OPEC+ compliance as June crude supply hits 9.35 million bpd    Lithuanian politicians taken to shelters after Belarus airspace violation alarm    EU leaders agree to send delegation to Libya after previous group expelled from country    Armenia and Azerbaijan move closer to peace, pushing Russia out from the South Caucasus    Trump says he will hike tariffs on Canadian goods to 35%    France's Lady Liberty artwork goes viral as a new Statue of Liberty could be in the works    Saudi population reaches 35.3 million in 2024, majority under 65    GASTAT: Industrial Production Index rises by 1.5% in May    Theo Hernández: Al Hilal can compete with Europe's best    Abdullah Al-Qaisoom wins silver at Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championship    Aubameyang's future at Al Qadsiah in doubt after cryptic post comparing Saudi League strikers    Makkah Deputy Emir leads washing of Holy Kaaba    SFDA approves 'Winrevair' for rare pulmonary hypertension treatment    HONOR returns to Esports World Cup as Official Smartphone Partner for 2025 The renewed commitment will see HONOR elevate mobile esports competition with cutting-edge AI technologies and industry-leading hardware    Michael Madsen, actor of 'Kill Bill' and 'Reservoir Dogs' fame, dead at 67    BTS are back: K-pop band confirm new album and tour    Sholay: Bollywood epic roars back to big screen after 50 years with new ending    Ministry launches online booking for slaughterhouses on eve of Eid Al-Adha    Shah Rukh Khan makes Met Gala debut in Sabyasachi    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Karzai: US-Afghan pact draft ready for Loya Jirga
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 17 - 11 - 2013

KABUL — Afghan and US negotiators have finished a draft of a contentious security pact to be presented to a traditional council next week, President Hamid Karzai said Saturday, but added that there remain disagreements between the two countries over the final content of the accord.
Karzai also told reporters at a news conference that without approval of the Loya Jirga, a gathering of several thousand prominent figures from across the country, Afghanistan will likely refuse to sign the so-called Bilateral Security Agreement.
US officials refused to comment on what they described as an ongoing diplomatic process.
Negotiations have been protracted and often acrimonious. In the end it took a surprise visit to Afghanistan in October by US Secretary of State John Kerry to produce the outlines of a deal. After a lengthy meeting with Karzai, the two announced that an agreement had been reached in principle on the major elements of the pact.
A sweeping document, the pact incorporates the usual Status of Forces Protection Agreement, which the United States signs with every country where its troops are stationed.
The document covers everything from customs duties on goods the US imports for its troops and development projects to a promise not to prosecute a US service member for criminal offenses in an Afghanistan.
“Because this is an ongoing diplomatic discussion, we're declining to comment on the state of the text or the process that got us to this point,” said Robert Hilton, US Embassy spokesman in Kabul.
“The draft is completed,” said Karzai, adding however that “there are still a few special points still being discussed ... There are still some differences.” He refused to elaborate on the differences or whether they could be deal breakers with Washington.
Immunity from prosecution of US service members has been a sore point in Afghanistan, where many Afghans are still angry over incidents including the February 2012 accidental burning of hundreds of copies of the Islamic holy book, the Qur'an, a March 2012 shooting spree by a US soldier in southern Afghanistan that killed 16 people, and unintended civilian deaths from US bombs.
The Loya Jirga, which is to begin on Thursday, will involve about 3,000 elders, clerics, parliamentarians and influential figures. The debate is expected to last several days and attendants are expected to be deeply divided over signing the pact.
“The Loya Jirga will bring together all the people, who agree and disagree about the Bilateral Security Agreement. We want them to talk about the agreement in a free and fair environment without any pressure on them,” Karzai said urging only that the attendants read the agreement carefully and in detail.
He asked that they study each clause before coming to the Jirga.
“After that then they should come out with their own decision,” he said.
A majority negative vote from the Jirga will likely scuttle the agreement and leave Afghanistan without any US forces after the end of 2014. With the agreement, the residual force of about 10,000 that is expected to remain behind would mostly train and mentor Afghanistan's National Security Force. A small group of US Special Forces are also expected to stay in Afghanistan to hunt down Al-Qaeda and carry out counter-terrorism activities. — AP


Clic here to read the story from its source.