Last week, Afghanistan successfully convened the Loya Jirga aimed at discussing the Bilateral Security Agreement with the United States. No unwanted incident happened during the Jirga and its outcomes were also quite satisfactory. The decision made by the 3,000 participants of the Jirga is welcoming to the people of Afghanistan and beneficial to the future of the country at times when it is facing numerous kinds of threats including Taliban’s insurgency. BSA, when finalized, will allow thousands of US troops in Afghanistan that will be tasked to train and support the Afghan National Security Forces and keep an eye over terror networks including al-Qaida.

Nonetheless, the decision of President Karzai’s to sign the agreement after next year’s presidential election has created much fuss inside Afghanistan and among the US authorities. At times when the US wants the troops’ deal to be signed as soon as possible – by the end of this year –, Afghan elders’ suggestion and emphasizes by the US authorities have not convinced Karzai to show readiness for quick signature of BSA. The main purpose behind eagerness of the US is that it needs to plan for its residual presence in Afghanistan after 2014.

Now, the US has gone one step further to get the BSA signed in due time. The White House has threatened to pull all US troops out of Afghanistan if it is unable to persuade Hamid Karzai to sign an agreement on a remaining military presence.  US national security adviser Susan Rice who reached Kabul immediately after the Loya Jirga gave a green signal to BSA and has told President Hamid Karzai during a diplomatic dinner that his latest proposal to delay signing the deal until next year would jeopardize their plan to keep a security presence in the country after the bulk of US troops pull out.

"Ambassador Rice reiterated that, without a prompt signature, the US would have no choice but to initiate planning for a post-2014 future in which there would be no US or NATO troop presence in Afghanistan," said a White House spokesman.

In case, Karzai remains reluctant and the US decides to withdraw all its troops by the end of the next year, other NATO allies will definitely do the same. This will put the so-far gains Afghans have made in various areas at the risk of being lost. A similar agreement between US and Iraqi governments failed in 2011 which only benefited the insurgents and instability in Iraq has been growing since then. If the US and Afghan government also encounter the same failure, Afghanistan might face severer condition as compared to Iraq.