Afghan president backs security pact with US but sets conditions for inking

Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Sunday supported the decision of traditional Loya Jirga or grand assembly of tribal elders and notables in favor of inking a security pact known as Bilateral Security Agreement with the United States but set conditions for inking the controversial pact. "We want to give bases to America, although it is difficult for us, but in return we want peace in Afghanistan from today onward but not 10 or 15 years later. This is our first condition," Karzai categorically said in his speech at the last day of the four-day Jirga. Other conditions include halting military operations on Afghan homes and cooperation in the coming election process slated for April 5 next year. He put the conditions in the wake of the killing of two civilians allegedly by American forces in eastern Nangarhar province on Tuesday. "I am repeating that from now on the American forces cannot search Afghan houses and cannot kill Afghans; otherwise the agreement will be annulled," President Karzai warned in his 30- minute emotional speech. However, the chairman of the 2,500-member historic gathering Sibghatullah Mujadadi urged President Karzai to respect the decision of the four-day Jirga and ink the security pact in the earliest before the end of 2013.