U.S. Marines begin a patrol near Forward Operating Base Shamsher in the Sangin district in Afghanistan's Helmand province, Sept. 6, 2012. The Marines are assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 6. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Jason Morrison
Kabul Prepares For U.S. Talks -- Wall Street Journal
Afghanistan Wants New Pact to Curtail American Troops' Immunity, Official Says.
KABUL—Afghanistan's demands to curtail immunity for U.S. forces will be a main stumbling block in negotiations over the long-term American military presence here, Afghan National Security Adviser Rangin Dadfar Spanta said, highlighting the issue that derailed similar U.S. talks with Iraq a year ago.
Mr. Spanta explained Kabul's negotiating positions in an interview as the lead American negotiator arrived in the Afghan capital for meetings to prepare for the talks on a bilateral security agreement, which are slated to start in the coming days.
At stake is the future of U.S. influence in this strategic region after more than a decade of war—including whether the U.S. will be able to fight al Qaeda and other extremist groups in Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan's tribal lands.
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My Comment: By curtailing immunity for U.S. troops .... this will effectively kill any future U.S. involvement in the country. Why the hard-core position from the Afghans .... and now? To me the answer revolves around the realization among many Afghans that U.S./NATO combat troops will be out of the country by the end of 2014. As a result of this departure, the dynamics on the ground are going to change, and so what we are now seeing is a re-positioning of everyone to accommodate this impending power and military vacuum. Is this a smart move on the part of the Afghans .... from my vantage point I will say that in the long term this is the worst decision to take .... but I do know that from their "short term" viewpoint this is probably the best position for them right now.
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