Afghanistan: U.S. Would Like to See BSA Signed 'As Quickly As Possible'

U.S. State Department Spokeswoman Jen Psaki said on Tuesday that the United States would like to see the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) with Afghanistan signed "as quickly as possible" to enable U.S. troops to operate in the country post -2014. It comes after Afghan President Hamid Karzai said on Monday that he is in no hurry to sign the accord in a meeting with U.S. National Security Advisor Susan Rice. "It's something we are prepared to sign and we'd like to sign and move forward on as quickly as possible, and that's what we continue to convey," Jen Psaki told reporters. Karzai has said that he would not sign the BSA until after a presidential election due in April, and that there should be peace in Afghanistan before the BSA is signed.

"Deferring the signature of the agreement until after next year's election would not provide the United States and NATO allies with the ability to plan for a post-2014 presence that's of vital importance," Psaki said. "It also puts at risk the pledges of NATO and other nations, financial pledges that were made at the Chicago and Tokyo conferences, and it also doesn't give the Afghan people -- and this is a very important component -- the certainty that they need as well on their end, as they're also going into an election season."

On Tuesday, U.S. National Security Advisor Susan Rice said in an exclusive interview with TOLOnews that, "We have no magic wand" to bring peace and broker a deal with the Taliban to convince President Hamid Karzai to sign the security pact between the two countries.

"I assured President Karzai the whole purpose of twelve years of American investment and presence in Afghanistan has been to help the Afghan people enjoy lasting peace and security," Rice told TOLOnews. "The whole purpose of the Bilateral Security Agreement if President Karzai chooses to sign it is to enable the United States to continue supporting Afghanistan in its efforts to achieve lasting peace and security, but it can't be achieved overnight as people know." "We have no magic wand. We have the ability to continue to support the Afghan National Security Forces, train, advise and assist them as they mature into a highly capable military," she said.

On Monday evening, President Karzai met Rice in Kabul at the presidential palace and refused to back down on his decision not to sign the BSA by the end of the year. The pact would allow thousands of U.S. troops to remain in Afghanistan post- 2014.

A majority of the 2,500-member Loya Jirga called on President Karzai to sign the document by the end of this year.

"We welcome very much the results of the Loya Jirga and the people of Afghanistan in the Loya Jirga stated overwhelmingly their desire for the BSA to be agreed and agreed promptly and urged that it be signed as soon as possible before the end of the year," Rice said. The U.S. troops who stay beyond 2014, when most foreign combat forces leave, would primarily train and mentor Afghan forces. Some special forces would stay to conduct "counter-terror operations."

The Afghan security forces currently number at around 350,000 men. Their greatest deficiency, according to experts, are logistics, which is one of the reasons many are adamant about the US and other coalition countries continuing to advise, train and assist the Afghan forces beyond 2014.