Sher Malang
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Wednesday, 20 November 2013 15:52 Last Updated on Wednesday, 20 November 2013 17:41 Written by Karim Amini
As negotiations over the Kabul-Washington Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) come to a close, Iranian Ambassador to Afghanistan Mohammad Reza Bahrami on Wednesday said that it was Afghanistan's right to sign the pact with the U.S., and Iran would not interfere, but that Tehran was concerned about the continued presence of American troops.
"In terms of the law, it's the genuine right of Afghanistan to preserve its national interests and sign an agreement with another country, and we won't interfere with it, because it's the internal affairs of Afghanistan," Ambassador Bahrami told TOLOnews in an exclusive interview.
A Loya Jirga set to discuss the BSA, which would ensure a close military partnership between the U.S. and Afghanistan after the NATO combat mission ends in 2014, is scheduled to convene on Thursday. The gathering is expected to make a recommendation to the Afghan National Assembly on whether or not to sign the accord.
Earlier this week, Afghan and American officials reported that negotiations had reached an impasse over the issue of U.S. unilateral operations on Afghan territory, meaning the Jirga could begin at the end of the week without a finalized version of the agreement in hand. But on Tuesday officials reported differences had been resolved and the text of the BSA was finalized.
Still, the contentiousness of negotiations between officials in Washington and Kabul reflects the polarized atmosphere in the general public. In recent weeks, supporters and opponents of the agreement have raised their voices in hopes of having an impact on Kabul's decision making.
The most hotly debated provisions of the BSA are those of criminal jurisdiction over U.S. troops and the right of America to conduct unilateral operations in Afghanistan post-2014. However, opponents of the accord have harped on the affects the potential continued presence of U.S. troops could have, suggesting it would exacerbate conflict with the Taliban.
The Iranian Ambassador on Wednesday said Tehran's greatest reservations about the BSA were centered on the issue of U.S. troop presence post-2014.
"We are concerned about the presence of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, because we believe that the presence of U.S. troops would have create some problems and we have shared our perspectives with the Afghan government in this respect," Ambassador Bahrami said.
Proponents of the BSA have said a residual troop presence of U.S. and NATO forces post-2014 is essential to the stability of the Kabul government and continued development of the Afghan security forces. U.S. officials are also said to want a contingent to stay behind in order to continue to fight al-Qaeda and its associates in the region.
Iran and the U.S. have had major tensions in recent years over the issue of Iran's nuclear program and support for organizations classified as terrorist groups by Washington. Although tensions have eased in the anticipation of a diplomatic rapprochement, the Ambassador to Afghanistan indicated Iran believes U.S. troops would only make regional insurgency problems worse.
"The presence of foreign troops in Afghanistan is one of the main reasons for the ongoing insurgency in the country," Bahrami said. "There should be negotiations and peaceful efforts to overcome the issues, and the talks should be an Afghan led process, because insurgency is now becoming a regional issue."
Pakistan, Afghanistan's neighbor to the east, has also expressed concerns about a continued presence of U.S. troops post-2014. Last month, Pakistani officials expressed the fear that Afghanistan would be used as a base for launching American military operations into Pakistan.
The Iranian Ambassador said explicitly that Tehran was not worried about this issue, and confidently stated that Iran was fully capable and ready to defend its sovereign territory.
U.S. officials have indicated they would likely leave a contingent of 10,000-15,000 troops in Afghanistan if the BSA is signed. Other NATO countries would likely contribute an additional few thousand. They stated purpose has been portrayed as a "train, advise and assist" mission.
Source: Iranian Envoy Supports Afghan Right to BSA, With Reservations
As negotiations over the Kabul-Washington Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) come to a close, Iranian Ambassador to Afghanistan Mohammad Reza Bahrami on Wednesday said that it was Afghanistan's right to sign the pact with the U.S., and Iran would not interfere, but that Tehran was concerned about the continued presence of American troops.
"In terms of the law, it's the genuine right of Afghanistan to preserve its national interests and sign an agreement with another country, and we won't interfere with it, because it's the internal affairs of Afghanistan," Ambassador Bahrami told TOLOnews in an exclusive interview.
A Loya Jirga set to discuss the BSA, which would ensure a close military partnership between the U.S. and Afghanistan after the NATO combat mission ends in 2014, is scheduled to convene on Thursday. The gathering is expected to make a recommendation to the Afghan National Assembly on whether or not to sign the accord.
Earlier this week, Afghan and American officials reported that negotiations had reached an impasse over the issue of U.S. unilateral operations on Afghan territory, meaning the Jirga could begin at the end of the week without a finalized version of the agreement in hand. But on Tuesday officials reported differences had been resolved and the text of the BSA was finalized.
Still, the contentiousness of negotiations between officials in Washington and Kabul reflects the polarized atmosphere in the general public. In recent weeks, supporters and opponents of the agreement have raised their voices in hopes of having an impact on Kabul's decision making.
The most hotly debated provisions of the BSA are those of criminal jurisdiction over U.S. troops and the right of America to conduct unilateral operations in Afghanistan post-2014. However, opponents of the accord have harped on the affects the potential continued presence of U.S. troops could have, suggesting it would exacerbate conflict with the Taliban.
The Iranian Ambassador on Wednesday said Tehran's greatest reservations about the BSA were centered on the issue of U.S. troop presence post-2014.
"We are concerned about the presence of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, because we believe that the presence of U.S. troops would have create some problems and we have shared our perspectives with the Afghan government in this respect," Ambassador Bahrami said.
Proponents of the BSA have said a residual troop presence of U.S. and NATO forces post-2014 is essential to the stability of the Kabul government and continued development of the Afghan security forces. U.S. officials are also said to want a contingent to stay behind in order to continue to fight al-Qaeda and its associates in the region.
Iran and the U.S. have had major tensions in recent years over the issue of Iran's nuclear program and support for organizations classified as terrorist groups by Washington. Although tensions have eased in the anticipation of a diplomatic rapprochement, the Ambassador to Afghanistan indicated Iran believes U.S. troops would only make regional insurgency problems worse.
"The presence of foreign troops in Afghanistan is one of the main reasons for the ongoing insurgency in the country," Bahrami said. "There should be negotiations and peaceful efforts to overcome the issues, and the talks should be an Afghan led process, because insurgency is now becoming a regional issue."
Pakistan, Afghanistan's neighbor to the east, has also expressed concerns about a continued presence of U.S. troops post-2014. Last month, Pakistani officials expressed the fear that Afghanistan would be used as a base for launching American military operations into Pakistan.
The Iranian Ambassador said explicitly that Tehran was not worried about this issue, and confidently stated that Iran was fully capable and ready to defend its sovereign territory.
U.S. officials have indicated they would likely leave a contingent of 10,000-15,000 troops in Afghanistan if the BSA is signed. Other NATO countries would likely contribute an additional few thousand. They stated purpose has been portrayed as a "train, advise and assist" mission.
Source: Iranian Envoy Supports Afghan Right to BSA, With Reservations
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