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BSA Crucial for Afghanistan's Future
Tuesday, 26 August 2014 20:29 Last Updated on Wednesday, 27 August 2014 10:24 Written by Karim Amini
U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey said that the U.S. troops may extend their presence in Afghanistan even if the Kabul-Washington Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) is not signed.
"We've got our own planning mechanism in place, should this thing [signing the BSA] extend a little further than we hoped it would," Gen. Dempsey said.
Gen. Dempsey arrived in Kabul on Monday to discuss the deadlines of the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan and accompany the new U.S. commander from Marine, Gen. Joseph Dunford to Army Gen. John Campbell.
He maintained the U.S government's position and emphasized on the need for the BSA, adding that under an optimal situation the U.S. would need about 120 days to pull all troops and equipments out of Afghanistan.
"We've said we need a [security agreement], not because we necessarily lack the authority to stay beyond the end of the year, but rather as an expression of good faith and good will by the Afghan government," the Associated Press quoted Gen. Dempsey.
Meanwhile, Afghan analysts have expressed concerns over the delay in signing the BSA.
"Not signing the agreement will create a dangerous situation for Afghanistan," political analyst Ahmad Saeedi told TOLOnews. "The U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is giving us a warning. The U.S. doesn't want to repeat the Iraq mistake in Afghanistan by pulling out all its troops."
Political analyst Sardar Mohammad Rahimi added to Saeedi's statements, saying that Gen. Dempsey's statements could lead to major consequences for the country.
"The country's economic and political situation is already bad," Rahimi uttered. "The agreement should be signed and ready for the next president soon."
The BSA draft was endorsed by the majority during the consultative Loya Jirga last year. However, President Hamid Karzai refused to sign the agreement.
Both presidential candidates have pledged to sign the BSA upon taking office.
The security agreement would allow the U.S. to leave about 10,000 troops in Afghanistan post-2014 as the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) continue their training.
Currently, there are about 50,000 foreign troops, mostly U.S. forces, in Afghanistan.
Tuesday, 26 August 2014 20:29 Last Updated on Wednesday, 27 August 2014 10:24 Written by Karim Amini
U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey said that the U.S. troops may extend their presence in Afghanistan even if the Kabul-Washington Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) is not signed.
"We've got our own planning mechanism in place, should this thing [signing the BSA] extend a little further than we hoped it would," Gen. Dempsey said.
Gen. Dempsey arrived in Kabul on Monday to discuss the deadlines of the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan and accompany the new U.S. commander from Marine, Gen. Joseph Dunford to Army Gen. John Campbell.
He maintained the U.S government's position and emphasized on the need for the BSA, adding that under an optimal situation the U.S. would need about 120 days to pull all troops and equipments out of Afghanistan.
"We've said we need a [security agreement], not because we necessarily lack the authority to stay beyond the end of the year, but rather as an expression of good faith and good will by the Afghan government," the Associated Press quoted Gen. Dempsey.
Meanwhile, Afghan analysts have expressed concerns over the delay in signing the BSA.
"Not signing the agreement will create a dangerous situation for Afghanistan," political analyst Ahmad Saeedi told TOLOnews. "The U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is giving us a warning. The U.S. doesn't want to repeat the Iraq mistake in Afghanistan by pulling out all its troops."
Political analyst Sardar Mohammad Rahimi added to Saeedi's statements, saying that Gen. Dempsey's statements could lead to major consequences for the country.
"The country's economic and political situation is already bad," Rahimi uttered. "The agreement should be signed and ready for the next president soon."
The BSA draft was endorsed by the majority during the consultative Loya Jirga last year. However, President Hamid Karzai refused to sign the agreement.
Both presidential candidates have pledged to sign the BSA upon taking office.
The security agreement would allow the U.S. to leave about 10,000 troops in Afghanistan post-2014 as the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) continue their training.
Currently, there are about 50,000 foreign troops, mostly U.S. forces, in Afghanistan.
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