November 24th, 2013
09:03 AM ET
Loya jirga approves U.S.-Afghan security deal; asks Karzai to sign
By Masoud Popolzai and Ben Brumfield, CNN
A vast majority of 2,500 Afghan elders voted Sunday at a traditional gathering to recommend a joint security agreement with the United States.
Members attending the 4-day-long loya jirga urged President Hamid Karzai to sign it before the end of the year.
Thousands of tribal elders made their way to the capital to join the loya jirga, a grand assembly, to confer on the key issue of whether or not to support the presence in their country of a limited number of U.S. troops beyond next year.
Amid some skepticism, they decided it was a good idea. U.S. Secretary of state John Kerry, who finished hammering out the deal with Karzai the day before the loya jirga began, was hopeful that they would.
FULL STORY
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So the war continues, but I guess in fairness the radical jihadists will never stop making war on US, Afghanistan, and everyone else. Iraq chose to make US leave and they got more violent when we left. Iraq rates 2nd to Syria in violence for this year, they're basically still fighting war, and it is even escalating.
So my guess is Karzai recognizes this fact and does not want his country to get utterly engulfed like Iraq.
It might be a costly mistake for America, but this is proof that we do honor our agreements to protect the new government of Afghanistan because they themselves freely asked and chose to have our help. So do not blame America if you are a foreigner because the government of Afghanistan freely chose this just as much as they could have freely chose not to do this as Iraq has done.
Karzai signed a agreement with the Russians to start arriving at the end of 2014 about 1 year ago. He has built a museum dedicated to the Russians in Kabul. He is hedging his bets. The Chinese control the copper mines and employ 75,000 Afghans. He is correct about the trust issue and at least he is finally being honest. The FOBs we pulled out have been ransacked by the locals for the wiring, pipes and whatever they may take. It is futile to stay and a huge waste of money and lives.
so how much is karzai asking to sign this time..? 5million? and a fleet of Benz's...? protection for his family's drug racket? What? Why dont we ever see the backroom deals made with these criminals?
That's simple enough to answer, tom Li. Corruption is a staple part of current U.S. foreign policy. I expect to see these so-called "elders" to agree, too. They too were most probably paid off with our tax money!!!