‘US pressure’ over security deal to achieve nothing: Faizi

KABUL): Presidential spokesman Aimal Faizi on Friday accused the United States of trying to pressure elements of President Karzai’s administration to accept the security agreement.

“There is no doubt that certain elements within the Afghan government are facing pressure from the US. However, this will not achieve anything,” Faizi told Reuters news agency in an emailed statement.

“If there is a perception in Washington that certain elements in Kabul can force President Karzai to succumb to any pressure, it is seriously flawed and mistaken.” Faizi declined to elaborate on who these “elements” were.

The news agency said Robert Hilton, spokesman for the US embassy in Kabul, declined to respond, only repeating that it was the view of the United States that signing the document “promptly” was in the interests of both countries.

On Wednesday Karzai reacted angrily to a comment by Kerry at a NATO meeting in Brussels that the Afghan defence minister, Bismillah Khan Mohammadi, could sign the document instead of the president.

“We cannot allow business as usual for the US after the signing of the BSA,” Faizi said. “It simply cannot be another ten-year chapter of raids on Afghan homes, civilian casualties and seeking peace in Afghanistan.”

On Thursday, influential US Democratic Senator Carl Levin questioned the Obama administration’s insistence that Karzai was the appropriate person to sign a security deal.

In a letter to President Barack Obama, Levin suggested Washington wait for a “more reliable” leader to take office.

PAN Monitor/ma

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