Sometimes the behavior and policies of current government appear like a maze game. They require followers to encounter to iron wall for each and every turn. Its policy regarding Bilateral Security Agreement is one of them. Previously, the government suspended the bilateral talks due to opening of political office for Taliban militants in Qatar. President Hamid Karzai had said that the US and other foreign allies had held double standard regarding peace talks, pointing that the process should have been led by his administration.
The process turned to corner and got a new momentum when President Karzai assigned Dr. Spanta, the National Security Advisor, Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, a well-known academician and Zalmai Rasool, the foreign Minister. The move showed that he was dealing with the issue seriously.
So now it appears that he still hesitates to sign BSA or not.
On Tuesday, he once again expressed that he had no rush to strike the deal with US. While speaking during a youth conference in capital Kabul, he said that he is in no rush to sign a security deal with the United States.
He added that the security pact between Kabul and Washington should guarantee the security of Afghanistan, provided financial support to Afghanistan and should respect the sovereignty and culture of the country.
No doubt, the above statements are all general and ambiguous to a certain extent. No one has provided a clear cut definition from sovereignty or cultural values. These concepts can be interpreted differently. For example, one can claim that wearing a Burqa is part of the Afghani tradition and culture that should become compulsory and hundreds of similar examples. So clearly it is not acceptable.
Same is the case with sovereignty. It can be interpreted as no foreign military presence.
In other spheres, the US has already talked of continuous financial assistance, training Afghan security forces and providing heavy weaponry, but if President means by guaranteed security the
elimination of insurgents that is not attainable in short period of time. It fought with insurgency for last twelve years, but still Taliban and other groups are active and occasionally organize spectacular attacks even in Kabul.
His statements come after continuous insistence of the US officials that the pact should be signed by October this year. So, instead of postponing the agreement which will under shadow the presidential election, Afghan officials should be serious and take decision in line with national interests.