KABUL - On Sunday, Afghan Senators called the "zero option" a threat to the security of Afghanistan and implored the U.S. fulfill its previous commitments to keeping a residual force in the country post-2014. The Senators said that the presence of foreign troops in the country post-2014 would be essential to averting security threats from neighboring countries.
The Senators urged Kabul and Washington to reach a decision over the issue as soon as possible. According to them, a post-2014 U.S. military presence in Afghanistan would be essential to maintaining the security gains that have been made over the past years as well as thwarting future terrorist activities.
The so called "zero option" would see a comprehensive end to U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan. Reports circled earlier this week about officials in the White House giving heightened consideration to the possibility of the complete absence of any residual forces in Afghanistan after the withdraw. The shift in Washington was attributed by the New York Times to rising tensions between President Obama and President Karzai following the failure of negotiations with the Taliban in Qatar and the subsequent freezing of Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) talks.
"The U.S. should fulfill its commitments made to Afghanistan. The "zero option" is a threat for Afghanistan and it may also affect its economy," said Senator Hidayatollah Rahayee.
"Statements related to the complete withdrawal of U.S. troops should be avoided, because it greatly affects the public mindset and the public might lose trust in the capabilities of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF)," said Senator Khaliq Dad Balaghi.
A number of Senators expressed frustration with Kabul and Washington's inability to come to an agreement on security issues facing the country and the future of their partnership heading into the 2014 troop withdraw.
"The U.S. and Afghanistan have not reached any agreement with respect to security issues. Moreover, the contradicting ideas put forward by the U.S. and Afghan officials have failed to find a solution to the problem. A comprehensive roadmap should be prepared to find a permanent solution to the challenges," said Senator Nisar Hares.
Afghan officials were not the only ones to express concern over the potential consequences of a "zero option" outcome. Last week, Kurt Volker, the former U.S. Ambassador to NATO, said that the complete absence of U.S troops post-2014 would be "catastrophic" for Afghanistan.
Echoed by the statements made on Sunday by Afghan Senators, the Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee encouraged White House officials to come a decision and demonstrate their continued support for Afghanistan. "Afghans who may otherwise be interested in building a fledgling democracy want to know that they will not be abandoned by the United States as the Taliban claims they will be," said Robert Menendez (D-NJ) last Thursday.
White House officials have been quick to caution premature conclusions about the policy path it is planning to take, and reaffirm its devotion to Afghanistan. "We do have an enduring commitment to Afghanistan. And whether we have a residual force there or not, that commitment will continue. The commitment will continue through our Strategic Partnership Agreement, it will continue through a security relationship which will involve our efforts to continue to go after the remnants of Al Qaeda in the region and to help train and equip the Afghan security forces," said Mr. Carney.
Tensions peaked between Kabul-Washington over the issue of the BSA following the controversial inauguration of the Taliban's office in the Doha, which led to President Karzai accusing the U.S. of negotiating with the insurgent group behind his back. He then froze BSA talks and said that they would not recommence until the Taliban met with the High Peace Council (HPC), essentially tying the fates of the peace talks and the BSA together.
President Obama said that he will be discussing the issue of a residual force post-2014 with his national security team. "The range of options depends on a number of things," said Obama.
"The two policy objectives we have when it comes to a post-2014 security relationship have to do with continuing to counter the remnants of Al Qaeda and to continue to train and equip -- train and equip the Afghan National Security Forces," insisted Carney.
Mr. Carney reemphasized that no decision has been made on the number of troops in Afghanistan post-2014 and a decision is not "imminent." However, with pressure bearing down on the administration from Congress, the importance of restarting BSA negotiations with Kabul and coming to a decision on the post-withdraw troop presence soon seems to be growing. (Tolo News)