Attack on Afghan spy chief a cowardly terror act: US

WASHINGTON (PAN’s National Directorate of Security chief Asadullah Khalid as a cowardly act of terror.

“We join Afghanistan in condemning this attack that injured the head of National Directorate of Security Asadullah Khalid,” the State Department’s spokesman Mark Toner told reporters at his daily news conference.

“We stand strong with Afghanistan against these cowardly acts of terror. We stand strong against this kind of terror and continue to work with Afghanistan to address both the security challenges, but also the other challenges that they face,” Toner said in response to a question.

On Thursday afternoon, a suicide attacker posing as a Taliban and detonated his explosives, believed hidden in his underwear.

Khalid suffered injuries below his waist and recuperating in the NDS hospital.

Hours after the incident, the Taliban had claimed responsibility for the attack on Khalid who had been widely known as an anti-Taliban figure.

Meanwhile, the US on Thursday said the Bilateral Security Agreement currently being negotiated by Afghan and American officials is expected to address the status of its forces.

“The Bilateral Security Agreement is expected to address the status of United States forces. Provisions on jurisdiction are an essential element of SOFAs (status of forces agreement) around the world,” said Caitlin Hayden, National Security Council spokesperson.

“We will negotiate to ensure that our personnel would have the authority and protections that they need to operate in Afghanistan after 2014 should the president decide they will do so,” she said. 

“As it is true elsewhere around the world, US forces in Afghanistan are at all times subject to the US Uniform Code of Military Justice,” Hayden said, responding to a question on possibility of immunity to US troops in Afghanistan after 2014.

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