The United States hopes that India will persuade Afghan President Hamid Karzai to allow US troops to stay. PHOTO: REUTERS/FILE
Testifying before a Senate committee, a senior US official voiced confidence that Afghanistan would eventually complete an agreement for some 12,000 US troops to stay after 2014, despite Karzai's insistence that he will leave the decision to his successor.
"His upcoming visit to India could, I think, be quite influential, because he highly respects and has good relations with the Indian government," said James Dobbins, the US special representative on Afghanistan and Pakistan. Karzai visits India later this week.
Dobbins said that all regional powers - except Iran - had encouraged Karzai to sign the accord, which would authorize US troops to keep training Afghans after next year's official withdrawal of combat forces first sent in 2001 following the September 11 attacks.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Russian President Vladimir Putin are among the leaders who have encouraged Karzai to sign the agreement, Dobbins said.
"Several of these leaders are no fans of an American military presence in Central Asia, but all recognize that without continued international military and economic support, Afghanistan risks falling back into civil war," Dobbins said.
Such a war would lead to a "rise in extremist groups, outflow of refugees and disruptions in commerce that would threaten the region as a whole," Dobbins said.
India, where Karzai studied, has enthusiastically supported the US military role and poured $2 billion in reconstruction aid into Afghanistan.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel also said on a weekend visit to Kabul that he received assurances that Afghanistan would eventually sign the Bilateral Security Agreement, which lays out future rules for foreign troops including limits on raids on homes.
Karzai initially endorsed the deal but later said the signature could take place only after the presidential election in April, warning against a NATO presence if it just meant "more bombs and killings."
"To the Americans, I say: why must the Afghan people pay the price for this war on terrorism?" Karzai told the French newspaper Le Monde in an interview published Tuesday.
His stance has outraged US officials and lawmakers, who have threatened a complete pullout if Karzai does not sign by the end of the year.
"This brinksmanship is unwarranted and, frankly, insulting to the sacrifices made by the United States military and taxpayers, and is not in Afghanistan's best interest," said Senator Robert Menendez, a member of President Barack Obama's Democratic Party and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Senator Bob Corker, the top Republican on the committee, accused Karzai of "flakiness" and of being an "irrational and irresponsible partner."
Dobbins said that Karzai was likely seeking to maintain leverage and was calculating that the United States would keep troops in Afghanistan no matter what.
"We try to tell him that American opinion isn't exactly where he thinks it is and that he is playing with fire," Dobbins said.
Opinion polls have shown that the US public is eager to end the country's longest-ever war, which has killed more than 2,000 US troops.
In 2011, the United States withdrew from Iraq after failing to secure a similar troop agreement at the end of a separate, more controversial war.
COMMENTS (13)
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@ Unbelievable
Hamid Karzai wants bribes just like Pakistan has been receiving them for the last 67 years. He is learning the art of swindling from next door neighbors.
@Ahad: No wonder you are a true pakistani!Your logic is proof of that.By your logic if some wants to help the poor he should let all poor come and stay in your home,give up all money on them,in short be one among them.India has the 2nd largest population and,not rich but a growing economy.With what we have,we are trying to help others.Afghans know this and appreciate.Search for Indira Gandhi Paediatric hospital Kabul,you will know how its been a boon for ordinary Afghans.Pakistanis are in a different league.They dont want to appreciate good work.If they were ,would there have been so much trouble in Indo-Pak relations..
@Zalmai:
He's labelled as irrational and irresponsible because he won't sign a deal that he personally negotiated - same deal that was approved by the loya jirga. Karsai is trolling for another bribe and upset that the American's have said no.
@ Ahad
The land currently known as Pakistan was also ruled by the Afghans. The Indian agenda is to develop trade and commerce in the region but Pakistan keeps violating APTA and plays an obstructionist role in the region.
Pakistan will eventually be isolated once Afghanistan, India, Iran and the US decide to bypass Pakistani land and sea routes. Chah Bahar port is already being used by Afghan and Indian traders and this route will be used aggressively with more frequency by said parties.
I had interactions with Afghans when they used to come to collect their (loaned) money from our factory workers. I was a child then, but still could understand that the Kabuliwallas were nice and polite people.
Go to any Afghan website and you'll know how close they feel to the Indians and how crazy they are about Bollywood movies. Of course, once you become a religious fanatic, then your view gets biased, like that of the talibans.
@maestro Yes i m a true pakistani, can you plz illuminate me with the right aspect of history. Apart by this wat abt opening borders for afghans to show ur true longingness.. Plz dont tell me asoka ruled for 1000 yrs :).
@Zalmai: Importantly, Karzai wants US to protect Afghanistan if there is an attack from Pakistani. If US agrees to this, US shall be bound to attack Pakistan if there is any attack or infiltration from Pakistan. Hamid Gul said in a TV debate that US is reluctant to commit to this because Pakistan may ask China to defend them in such instances. Considering that China wants US forces to remain in Afghanistan, I doubt China will do such favor to Pakistan and ultimately Karzai may get the agreement he wants from US and NATO.
Hamid Karzai is labelled as an irrational and irresponsible partner because he wants concessions before signing the BSA.
Karzai seeks leverage against Terror Inc and their backers across the border coupled with the acquisition of advanced weapons to contain them but NATO drags its feet on both fronts. Something's got to give.
@Ahad: Only a true Pakistani mindset can speak of 1000 years of rule over India. Read history before making foolish claims.
“We try to tell him that American opinion isn’t exactly where he thinks it is and that he is playing with fire,” Dobbins said.
"Opinion polls have shown that the US public is eager to end the country’s longest-ever war, which has killed more than 2,000 US troops."
Please respect your public's opinion, if you're a democratic country, and let Karzai worry about the fire he is trying to play with.
Indians like Afghani, this is a fact, these Afghani comes in large numbers in India to study. when I was in college I had this opportunity of spending time with them. I found that these Afghani boys were fun loving, movie freaks, they partied all night.
we Indians have had no problems dealings with true Christians and true/pure Muslims, infact we get along well with them.
the problem arises when we have to deal with converted Muslims, who we think are unnecessarily chauvinistic, rigid to the core, insecure by nature. and it is in these converted lots that jehadi elements are breeding.----------there is an old adage in india which says, (naya naya mullah Allah Allah Jada karta hai.)
that's how we see the difference between Pakistanis and afghanistanis.
India, who was sidelined earlier due to Pakistan's objections again comes into contention to play an important role in Afghanistan post 2014, and it is a significant that US has sought help from India not Pakistan to mediate in a thorny issue between the two. It is an established fact that a majority of Afghanis trust India and considers it as a friend of the people of their country. The major reason for these friendly relations is that India has refrained from any type of internal interference and only restricted its role in developments works in Afghanistan which has gone well with its people who now want India to play a bigger role, which it should necessarily oblige.