Kabul, Oct.16 (ANI): President Karzai is calling a Loya Jirga (The Grand Assembly of Afghan elders and tribal leaders) early next month in Kabul to discuss details of the proposed Bilateral Security Agreement, as he does not want to be blamed for selling Afghan interests to the United States and allies.
As a safeguard, the United Nations Security Council has decided to extend its mandate to the NATO-led International Security Force in Afghanistan (ISAF) for the last time, before it hands over the entire security responsibility to Afghan security forces.
In its resolution, the UNSC has said: "Afghanistan still constitutes a threat to international peace and security."
It pointed to the ongoing violence and terrorist activities by the Taliban, Al Qaeda and other extremist groups and criminals engaged in the drug trade.
The UNSC said the goal is to train Afghan forces to make them "self-sufficient, sustainable, accountable and ethnically balanced", and to enable it to provide security and ensure rule of law across the country.
The ISAF has already withdrawn itself from active combat operations, and is now largely playing a supporting role to the Afghan forces since June this year. Its strength has already been reduced from 1, 30,000 to 87,000 in August. It will continue training and mentoring the 350,000-strong Afghan defence forces.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom has made its final major deployment in Afghanistan. Britain's 7th Armoured Brigade will take over from the I Mechanised Brigade, and consists mainly of engineers. It would organise the return of equipment to Britain.
The strength of the British forces would come down to 5000 by the year end. The British base will come down to 5 from 130.
A major effect of the international forces withdrawal would be on the employment scene in Afghanistan. Over one-third of total jobs in the country come from the NATO forces. The Chief of the U.N. Office in Drug Control, Yury Fedton, fears a escalation in the production of opium and narcotics because of the reduced employment opportunities.
For Karzai, his frustration over the failure to bring the country to safety despite his 12-year-long rule is reflected from his blame on the 'NATO inflicting suffering on the Afghans and repeated violations of its sovereignty.'
NATO Secretary General, Anders Fogh Rasmussen said in Brussels, "We have sacrificed much in blood and treasure to assist the Afghan people, and, I have noted with satisfaction, that when I meet the Afghans, they express appreciation for that."
In the last 12 years, 3790 NATO soldiers have lost their lives, out of which 2146 were Americans.
Stressing the need for a Bilateral Security Agreement with the United States, former Afghan defence minister General Abdul Rahim Wardak, said: "All that has been invested in blood and training will go with the wind and the destiny of this country will go back to square one."
The international community will make all efforts to ensure that this does not happen, and Afghanistan will get all support to emerge as an independent nation.
The proposed bilateral agreement seeks to keep about 5000 to 10000 U.S. troops. Additional personnel would guard the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. The U.S., however, proposes to wind up its consulate in Herat and abandon the proposal to have diplomatic facility in Mazar-e-Sahrif.
Germany has agreed to leave 800 combatants in the northern region, while Italy has said that it would retain another 500 at Herat in western Afghanistan. Britain would also retain a sizeable combat presence.
The international community pledges to provide USD four billion annually after 2014 for equipment and assistance to the Afghan security forces. Another USD four billion is to be provided as economic and development assistance to the Afghanistan Government.
But for all this it happen, the Bilateral Security Agreement has to be finalised.
The views expressed in the above article are of Mr. Gurinder Randhawa, former AIR Correspondent in Kabul. By Gurinder Randhawa (ANI)
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