The day before the Loya Jirga is set to begin proceedings, security pact negotiations over the issue of U.S. unilateral operations post-2014 remain un-finalized and a new disagreement between Washington and Kabul has emerged over whether or not the White House will apologize for past mistakes made in Afghanistan and commit to avoiding them in the future.
On Monday, only days after top Afghan officials reported that the text of the BSA was almost entirely complete, The New York Times reported that negotiators had reached an unforeseen impasse over the issue of whether or not the U.S. would be permitted to launch unilateral operations on Afghan territory after the NATO combat mission ends in 2014.
Although U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry reportedly admitted to "mistakes" having been made in past cases of U.S. raids on Afghan homes that resulted in civilian casualties, his request to President Hamid Karzai for American forces to conduct similar operations their own under "exceptional circumstances" has yet to be approved by officials in Kabul.
As of now, no text for the BSA has been finalized and approved by both governments, leaving Jirga organizers without a definitive copy to have translated and prepared for the some 3,000 Afghan leaders expected to gather in Kabul for the Jirga on Thursday.
The Jirga is intended to discuss the BSA and issue a recommendation to the National Assembly on how to proceed – approve or reject the accord, which would ensure continued close military ties between Washington and Kabul in the early following the coalition withdraw.
Debate on criminal jurisdiction over U.S. troops and unilateral operations have been the most contentious aspects of the BSA in recent weeks. Now, after over a year of negotiations, the security pact could possibly sink on their account, which would likely mean no foreign troops remain in Afghanistan post-2014 and some 4.1 billion USD in military aid to the Afghan forces gets taken off the table.
But negotiations over unilateral operations, which are said to be holding up the finalization of the pact, saw another level of bargaining infused on Wednesday. According Afghan officials, President Karzai has demanded a written apology from U.S. President Barak Obama for past civilian casualties and a commitment to preventing future ones before he consents to the BSA including the right for American forces to conduct raids on their own.
Although Kerry did acknowledge past mistakes, officials in Washington have denied that it was an "apology," and have rejected Karzai's request for a commitment from Obama.
U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice said that "no U.S. apology to Afghanistan is envisioned under the bilateral security agreement."
"Quite the contrary, we have sacrificed and supported them in their democratic progress and in tackling the insurgents and al Qaeda. So that (letter of apology) is not on the table," she said.
Negotiations are said to be ongoing at the Presidential palace in Kabul Wednesday night.
If no resolution is made, the Jirga participants tomorrow could find themselves with two versions of the BSA in hand – an Afghan one and an American one.
Previously, it was thought that it was agreed between the two nations that the U.S. would ask permission before launching unilateral operations, primarily relying on Afghan forces instead. But this week it became evident that no such understanding was made official.
The U.S. has indicated it would likely keep 10,000-15,000 troops in Afghanistan post-2014 if the pact is signed for the purposes of training, advising and assisting Afghan forces and continuing to combat al-Qaida.
Many Afghan officials and security experts have implored the Loya Jirga and the Kabul government to approve the pact, even if it means sacrificing their pride. They argue the BSA is essential to Afghanistan's future stability and progress.
On Tuesday, Presidential candidates for the upcoming spring vote – Abdullah Abdullah and Abdul Rahim Wardak – were amongst those who expressed support for the agreement.
Nevertheless, many Afghans have also denounced the pact, joining the Taliban and other anti-coalition groups like Hezb-e-Islami. A rally was organized in Jalalabad city on Tuesday in which demonstrators waved Taliban flags and condemned the Jirga and BSA.
Whatever decision is made on accepting or rejecting the BSA will have both its supporters and its opponents. Nevertheless, before any deliberation can happen, the terms of the pact must be finalized between negotiators. And as of now, whether or not that will happen before the Jirga convenes on Thursday is very much in question.
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