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A top Afghan general has said his country may be dangerously exposed if a security pact with the US on its military withdrawal is not signed soon.
Washington insists on a 31 December deadline for President Hamid Karzai to
sign the pact, which sets the terms for US troops to stay on past 2014.
Mr Karzai wants to wait until after he leaves office next year.
But the head of ground forces, Lt Gen Murad Ali Murad, told the BBC the army
would struggle without US support.
Most Nato-led foreign combat forces in Afghanistan are due to leave next year,
ascombat operations are declared to be over.
However, the pact could see 15,000 foreign soldiers remaining, primarily as trainers and mentors for the Afghans, but also to conduct "counter-terror operations". After months of negotiation, the pact, known officially as the Bilateral Security
Agreement, was endorsed at a national gathering (Loya Jirga) of Afghan elders in Kabul last month.
Mr Karzai, who has served two terms as Afghanistan's first and only president since the Taliban were ousted from power in 2001, is obliged by law to stand down after elections in April.
'
Zubair tanhaa kabuli A top Afghan general has said his country may be dangerously exposed if a security pact with the US on its military withdrawal is not signed soon.
Washington insists on a 31 December deadline for President Hamid Karzai to
sign the pact, which sets the terms for US troops to stay on past 2014.
Mr Karzai wants to wait until after he leaves office next year.
But the head of ground forces, Lt Gen Murad Ali Murad, told the BBC the army
would struggle without US support.
Most Nato-led foreign combat forces in Afghanistan are due to leave next year,
ascombat operations are declared to be over.
However, the pact could see 15,000 foreign soldiers remaining, primarily as trainers and mentors for the Afghans, but also to conduct "counter-terror operations". After months of
Washington insists on a 31 December deadline for President Hamid Karzai to
sign the pact, which sets the terms for US troops to stay on past 2014.
Mr Karzai wants to wait until after he leaves office next year.
But the head of ground forces, Lt Gen Murad Ali Murad, told the BBC the army
would struggle without US support.
Most Nato-led foreign combat forces in Afghanistan are due to leave next year,
ascombat operations are declared to be over.
However, the pact could see 15,000 foreign soldiers remaining, primarily as trainers and mentors for the Afghans, but also to conduct "counter-terror operations". After months of negotiation, the pact, known officially as the Bilateral Security
Agreement, was endorsed at a national gathering (Loya Jirga) of Afghan elders in Kabul last month.
Mr Karzai, who has served two terms as Afghanistan's first and only president since the Taliban were ousted from power in 2001, is obliged by law to stand down after elections in April.
'
Zubair tanhaa kabuli A top Afghan general has said his country may be dangerously exposed if a security pact with the US on its military withdrawal is not signed soon.
Washington insists on a 31 December deadline for President Hamid Karzai to
sign the pact, which sets the terms for US troops to stay on past 2014.
Mr Karzai wants to wait until after he leaves office next year.
But the head of ground forces, Lt Gen Murad Ali Murad, told the BBC the army
would struggle without US support.
Most Nato-led foreign combat forces in Afghanistan are due to leave next year,
ascombat operations are declared to be over.
However, the pact could see 15,000 foreign soldiers remaining, primarily as trainers and mentors for the Afghans, but also to conduct "counter-terror operations". After months of