Eurasia Press & News
US Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday appeared to give Afghan President Hamid Karzai extra time to sign a long-awaited bilateral security agreement, saying the deal did not have to be signed by January.
Adding that the pact should be signed as soon as possible, he raised the option for the first time that the deal governing the presence of US troops in Afghanistan beyond 2014 could even by inked by Karzai’s successor, who will be chosen in April elections.
The United States wants the deal to ensure legal protection for any troops who stay behind in a training role after the international forces leave in late 2014.
And Washington has warned without a pact, it may pull all its military out.
