KABUL - Some regional spy agencies tried to disrupt the traditional Loya Jirga on the strategic cooperation pact with the US, the interior minister said on Saturday. The four-day assembly concluded with the release of a 76-article declaration, recommending the creation of American bases in the country for a decade.
Endorsing the agreement with the US was necessary for maintaining security and strengthening Afghanistan's economy, delegates said in the declaration, which underlined respect for the Afghan culture, traditions and religion.

Addressing a news conference in Kabul, Interior Minister Bismillah Khan Mohammadi accused some regional intelligence services of seeking to scuttle the important event. However, he stopped short of naming any country or spy agency.

Afghan forces thwarted attempts at sabotaging the Jirga, the minister said, adding: "Our security personnel have considerably grown in strength and ability to provide security for such major meetings."

The local forces would take charge of their national security in the near future, he hoped, appreciating participants of the Jirga for defying Taliban's threats.

In his concluding remarks to the tribal gathering, President Hamid Karzai also praised the role of Afghan forces in maintaining security during the grand tribal gathering.