Speaking to the French newspaper Le Monde, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said ‘‘There is no difference between the behavior of the United States, which is brandishing threats against us for us to carry out their wishes, and that of the colonialists of history.’’
Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai accused the USA of acting like a “colonialist power”, stressed that the USA has made threats to both the peace and to the economy of his country.
Karzai spoke to the French newspaper Le Monde, stating that the USA had applied pressure on his government to force them to sign the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA).
Karzai stated that while he was not opposed to the pact, before it was signed certain assurances had to be made to the Afghans.
According to the Afghan President, if these assurances are not made, he would not sign the pact, and would leave the responsibility for the decision whether to sign it or not to the President who succeeds him after the coming elections.
Karzai accused the USA of holding a stance no different to the colonialist powers of history, and said, “Even if they are serious, they have no right to pressure us.”
Both the USA and NATO have previously claimed that if international forces are to remain in Afghanistan and to train Afghan military forces after 2014, the BSA must be signed.
The pact comprises an economic aid of USD 15 billion per year, including the wages of the army and the police forces.
The most controversial issues with regards to the BSA are the USA insistence on the authorization of US troops to unilaterally carry out anti-terrorism operations, including the raiding of private homes, and the USA’s insisting on immunity for US forces.
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