Kerry: Troops staying in Afghanistan after 2014 to fight terrorists

US Secretary of State John Kerry has said that US troops staying in Afghanistan after 2014 will be on a mission to fight terrorists. According to a security agreement, a residual US force will remain in Afghanistan after a planned 2014 troop withdrawal. Despite the complaints from Afghan President Hamid Karzai about the scope and specifics of such an agreement, Kerry said he believes it will be signed soon. “As recently as a day ago, [Karzai] reiterated through his minister that the language is fine,” Kerry told ABC News. “He's not going to change -- to seek a change in the language…So we are very close to the ability to move forward, and I believe it will be signed.” He said US President Barack Obama "has already said we are prepared to be there for a number of years going forward in a very different role, a very diminished role of training, advising, and equipping the Afghans. We will not be in combat. America will not be engaged in combat." "We will be doing counterterrorism ... It can be intel gathering. It can be providing information to the Afghans that they act on. And in some cases, it might wind up being kinetic by American forces. But the point is, it’s not day-to-day combat against the Taliban on behalf of the Afghan people. It’s counterterrorism to fight against terrorists – al-Qaida, and Haqqani Network, others – who are threatening American assets and America itself.