White House confirms President Obama's Afghanistan pledges

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By JOSH GERSTEIN

A White House spokeswoman confirmed early Thursday that President Barack Obama signed a letter to Afghan President Hamid Karzai pledging that U.S. forces who may remain in the country for the next decade will respect the dignity of Afghans in their homes and only enter their residences when it is essential to do so. "I know you have been concerned for some time to limit the impact of the conflict in Afghanistan on the Afghan people, with particular attention to the sensitive issue of the safety and privacy of people in their homes," Obama wrote in the letter dated Wednesday and released by Karzai's office. "Over time, and especially in the recent past, we have redoubled our efforts to ensure that Afghan homes are respected by our forces and that our operations are conducted consistent with your law. We will continue to make every effort to respect the sanctity and dignity of Afghans in their homes and in their daily lives, just as we do for our own citizens."

"As this new agreement states, U.S. forces shall not enter Afghan homes for the purposes of military operations, ecept under extraordinary circumstances involving urgent risk to life and limb of U.S. nationals," Obama continued.

Some press reports had suggested that Obama's letter would amount to an apology for past U.S. raids in Afghanistan that had resulted in civilians being killed or wounded. However, U.S. officials insisted that the president had not agreed to sign any letter of that sort, although they said the U.S. always regrets civilan casualties during military conflicts. Obama's letter is part of what Karzai requested and obtained from American officials in an effort to persuade a gathering of Afghan leaders, a so-called Loya Jirga, to approve a security pact with the U.S. that would allow American troops to remain in the country through 2024. The U.S. appears to have won the key assurance it insisted upon in the agreement: immunity for U.S. forces from prosecution in Afghan courts.