Afghan Soldiers Are Demanding That President Karzai Sign The U.S. - Afghan Security Agreement

U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Jason Strait, left, meets with one of his counterparts at the Afghan national police headquarters in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, Feb. 3, 2014. Strait is assigned to a security force advise and assist team attached to the 10th Mountain Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team. U.S. Army Photo by Spc. Eric Provost

Afghan Soldiers Desperate For Pact With U.S., Criticize President Karzai For Delay -- Washington Post

ZABUL, Afghanistan — The Afghan soldiers fighting the Taliban have grown confident in their ability to combat an agile insurgency. But for those on the front lines, one question casts a shadow over the young army’s progress.

What if the United States — and its funding — vanish from Afghanistan?

That outcome has become increasingly probable with President Hamid Karzai’s refusal to sign a bilateral security agreement that would allow the United States to maintain a small military presence here beyond 2014. Now, Afghan troops are beginning to raise their voices against Karzai, demanding at great personal risk that he sign the pact.

“If the international community leaves, there is no question that we will lose ground to the Taliban,” Col. Mohammad Dost, a battalion commander in Zabul province, said in an interview. “It’s the biggest worry for every soldier now.”

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My Comment: I sense in this article that if a U.S. - Afghan security pact is not signed .... many of these Afghan soldiers are going to desert .... and who would blame them.