Kerry Praises Loya Jirga, Urges BSA Signing - East Idaho News
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Kerry Praises Loya Jirga, Urges BSA Signing

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GETTY 112413 AFGHANBSADEAL?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1385327834954MASSOUD HOSSAINI/AFP/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — With the 10-year Afghan and United States security pact approved by Afghanistan’s loya jirga – the traditional gathering of elders – Secretary of State John Kerry has urged its swift signing.

But to the State Department’s chagrin, Afghan President Hamid Karzai has indicated he won’t sign the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) until after Afghanistan’s presidential election in April. The loya jirga called on him to sign it sooner.

Kerry said in a statement, “Very significantly, the Loya Jirga also urged that the BSA should be signed before the end of the year.  … The critical next step must be to get the BSA signed in short order, and put into motion an agreement which will lay a firm foundation for our two countries to continue working together toward a more secure and prosperous future for Afghanistan.”

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