U.S. and Afghans Negotiate Future

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Senior American and Afghan officials held talks on Saturday to try to iron out the details of a pact that defines the future of America’s commitment to Afghanistan. The strategic partnership agreement outlines a set of principles and commitments for relations between Washington and Kabul after 2014, when foreign combat troops are to withdraw from Afghanistan. But there is lingering uncertainty over whether either party will be willing or able to stick to the provisions of the pact, which includes loopholes for both nations. The meeting here on Saturday between Deputy Secretary of State William J. Burns and the Afghan foreign minister, Zalmai Rassoul, was the second round of negotiations on how to carry out the agreement, which was signed in May 2012 by President Obama and President Hamid Karzai. The deal spells out Washington’s commitment to Afghanistan over the next 10 years, as well as its expectations of Kabul, including free and fair presidential elections next year and pledges to fight corruption, improve efficiency and protect human rights, including those of women. Sticking points may include the amount of money the United States provides to Afghan security forces. The two countries are also still squabbling over a separate agreement that would protect from prosecution a residual force of as many as 10,000 American troops that would stay behind after the end of the international combat mission. In remarks before the talks, Mr. Burns promised that Washington would stand by Afghanistan and its nascent national security forces after 2014. But the deal allows either country to opt out with a year’s notice, which means that Mr. Karzai’s successor could scuttle the agreement. Mr. Karzai’s re-election in 2009 was marred by widespread allegations of fraud. He denied the charges, but the acrimonious aftermath tainted his relationship with the West, which was the most vocal of his critics. The pact calls for a free, fair and transparent election in 2014. Mr. Karzai, however, has been relentless in his criticism of American involvement in Afghanistan’s political process, saying that Washington was secretly maneuvering to strengthen his opposition. Mr. Burns denied that.