NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has joined the US calls for Afghan President Hamid Karzai to sign the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA), warning he risks an end to the “Afghan mission” if he doesn’t sign it before the year’s end.
The BSA would govern US military present beyond 2014, and is intended to ensure US forces remain in Afghanistan “through 2024 and beyond.” NATO will seek a similar pact, but only after the US deal is in place.
Karzai, whose term in office ends in April, insists he won’t sign before the elections, and wants concessions to end US night raids and drone strikes. The US insists the deal must be signed by the end of this month or else.
Pentagon officials have repeatedly said that the “zero option” of leaving after 2014 hasn’t been considered, but the Obama Administration has repeatedly thrown the prospect in Karzai’s face when it wants to speed up an agreement.
Hamid must sign the BSA or the occupation will end? So, how is that a bad thing?
If one ever needed proof that the public is not being told the truth, this is a good example. There are just too many illogical aspects to this narrative.
Karzai: He knows that if the US leaves, he and his coterie are toast. – quickly. He also knows that if the US is forced (by statements made by Obama Admin – "We'll leave if you don't sign") Karzai will be hailed by some as the one who drove the Occupiers from Afghanistan – but that won't save his butt for being an Occupation sympathizer.
Obama: Already on his watch, the US military left (mostly) Iraq. If the US leaves Afghanistan because Karzai refuses to sign the BSA then he takes credit for ending 2 wars during his term. But, things would not be all parties and celebrations because the hardliners will flow out of the woodwork (Cheney and his acolytes well in front of the pack) slavering that Obama "wasted" all the lives and treasure that has been spent since 9/11. And those calling for his head STILL won't explain why we need to stay there ad infinitum. The American people have not been told why because if told, the American people would expedite ending this adventure in futility.
So, as I said, nothing makes sense. We can speculate but we really don't know. That, more than anything is what I would change. The American people cannot make reasoned choices without knowing the truth…perhaps that is the intended state of affairs.
Keep the people ignorant, stoke the fear and nationalistic fervor and if they complain, stomp on them with both boots.
So, how did Afghanistan survive before the occupation ? The U.S. needs to go back home, and clean house.
The occupation forces has been in Afghanistan for the past twelve years, did they sign an agreement when they invaded,? not sure they need to sign now to stay. The BSA is like an adoption agreement which will allow NATO to commit more atrocities without being held accountable. Karzai see the writing on the wall, that's why he is holding out.
A few thousand US troops will remain in Afghan indefinitely to protect
the Western engineers building the long-planned oil pipeline.
The soon-to-be Taliban government will demand a big cut of the oil profits.
And so it goes.
Karzai has his Swiss bank accounts, so who needs the Americans?
warning he risks an end …
Oooh Promise? What a leap forward to end yet another spur for terrorism. Cant see it happening though. Pipelines have something to do with it.
This threat of the USA 100% leaving is about the worst bluff of all time.
Soon enough, the USA will essentially say to Karzai, either in private, public, or both, that either his brains or signature will be on the agreement.