White House insists on quick signing of security pact with Afghanistan

The White House on Wednesday insisted on Afghanistan's signing of a security agreement with the United States "as soon as possible," warning the scenario of no US military presence is not in the interest of the Asian nation. "We have made clear that we believe the bilateral security agreement ought to be signed right away, as soon as possible," spokesman Jay Carney told reporters at a regular news briefing. He said Washington is ready for the signature, as "the negotiation is over." "If we cannot conclude a BSA promptly, then we will be forced to initiate planning for a post-2014 future in which there would be no U.S. or NATO troop presence in Afghanistan," he added. "And that's not a future that we want, and it is not in Afghanistan's interests." Afghan President Hamid Karzai has dismissed as brinkmanship U.S. threat of a complete troop pullout from Afghanistan by the end of 2014 without a security pact that governs the presence of American troops in the Asian nation beyond 2014. The president initially endorsed such a deal, but has since put forward new conditions including a promise by Washington not to allow its forces to conduct counterterrorism raids on Afghan homes, and U.S. agreement to free Afghan prisoners held at its Guantanamo prison. "We cannot, as has been suggested, wait for further developments in Afghanistan," Carney said. "There are no changes that are going to be made to that agreement. It can either be signed or not signed." In an interview with ABC television Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry suggested for the first time that the security deal could be signed by Karzai's successor to be produced in April elections, as the president had insisted. "I believe that Hamid Karzai, either he or his successor, will sign this," Kerry said in the interview, stressing "I think he needs to sign this." State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf on Wednesday also called for a quick signing, saying leaving the agreement to the next president is not "a viable option." Washington has intended its residual forces in Afghanistan to play a limited role of training and conducting counterterrorism missions. The security pact it is seeking will grant its troops immunity from Afghan laws. Iraq's refusal to ink such a deal forced a total withdrawal of US forces in 2011.