Afghanistan needs no permission for US accord: Spanta

KABUL): Signing a strategic agreement with the US does not need any permission from neighbouring countries, a presidential advisor said on Monday.

“Afghanistan is an independent country and can sign any strategic agreement with any country it wants to,” Rangin Dadfar Spanta, national security advisor to the president, told parliamentarians.  He added Afghanistan has the right to fight terrorism in partnership with its allies.  

Under the proposed strategic agreement with the US, he said, Afghanistan would be independent in all activities, including arrest of suspects and search of civilian houses.

The US would train and equip Afghan forces as part of the agreement until the country’s security problems were addressed, he explained.

Any decision about the accord would be taken by the Parliament and the traditional Jirga would only advise the Afghan government, he said.

On permanent US military bases in Afghanistan, Spanta said the American government had not yet decided anything in this regard. However, he believed the presence of US bases were crucial to let Afghans achieve their goals and prevent interference from neighbouring countries.

“The neighbouring countries are playing a double game with us over the past 32 years,” he said.

Foreign minister, Zalmay Rassoul, said it would be the parliament to decide on permanent US military bases in the country. He said the bases would not be allowed to use Afghan soil against its neighbours.

The strategic cooperation agreement with America was aimed at bringing political and economical stability and improved security situation, he said.

frm/ma

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