20/11/2013 10:46
Hopes rise for Afghan-US security accord
A last-minute intervention by US Secretary of State John Kerry may have sealed a security deal allowing US forces to remain in Afghanistan after the end of next year, the BBC reported.
Mr Kerry has offered to send a letter, admitting past American mistakes, to a meeting of Afghan elders, a Loya Jirga, convened to consider the deal.
Talks have been going on to produce a document acceptable to both sides.
If there is no deal, Washington will pull out all its troops next year.
The BBC's David Loyn in Kabul says international diplomats have become used to unpredictable changes in 12 years of dealing with President Hamid Karzai.
The last 48 hours have been particularly unnerving as months of negotiations were nearly derailed by a late proposal from the Afghan side demanding that the future security deal should prevent US forces from entering Afghan homes.
But after a direct intervention on the phone from Mr Kerry, the Afghan president has accepted an offer for President Barack Obama to write a letter acknowledging past US mistakes, and requesting that US forces should have the right to enter Afghan homes only in the case of "urgent risk to the life of US soldiers."
If that letter comes, the deal will then be presented for approval by the Loya Jirga - of up to 3,000 Afghan elders - which convenes on Thursday.
It is a last-minute compromise for a US government that had ideally wanted this deal signed months ago, so that US forces could plan for the period after combat operations end in 2014.
But there are still hurdles ahead even if the compromise is accepted - including a disagreement over who has jurisdiction for any crimes committed by US forces remaining in Afghanistan after 2014.
While State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the two sides continued to make progress, she added: "We're not there yet."