Afghanistan War: Karzai Says US Deal Has To Specify Cash

KABUL, Afghanistan — Afghanistan's president raised another condition Tuesday for a long-awaited strategic partnership with the United States: The accord must spell out the yearly U.S. commitment to pay billions of dollars for the cash-strapped Afghan security forces.

The demand threatens to further delay the key bilateral pact and suggests that Afghan President Hamid Karzai is worried that the U.S. commitment to his country is wavering as the drawdown of foreign forces nears.

The U.S. already pays the vast majority of the budget to train, equip and run the Afghan security forces and expects to do so for years to come to compensate for Afghanistan's moribund economy. But the yearly Congressional budget process, as well as the American public's weariness with the Afghan conflict, would make it difficult for Washington to commit to a dollar figure years in advance.

The strategic partnership agreement is crucial to the U.S. exit strategy in Afghanistan. American officials hope it will both map the course for U.S. forces after the majority of combat troops leave in 2014 and give the Afghan people confidence they are not about to be abandoned by their most important international ally.

But the talks have often snagged on what appears to be very different opinions of the two governments about what the goals of the document should be. U.S. officials involved in the negotiations have said it is not meant to set forth exact rules, but to establish a framework between the two countries to continue to work together for years to come.

The Afghan government seems to want the exact opposite, repeatedly demanding concrete commitments and rules for U.S. forces. It sees the document as necessary to establishing Afghan sovereignty after years of letting policy be set by the international allies who bankroll the government.

Negotiations were dragging at the beginning of the year as Karzai asked for specific commitments from the U.S. before signing, but the main hurdles – agreements on the transfer of authority over detainees and the conduct of night raids – have been resolved in recent weeks.

Afghan and U.S. officials are pushing to sign the deal before a NATO conference in Chicago in May, and with those two issues resolved, that goal appeared within sight.

Then Karzai said Tuesday that the U.S. needs to go further than vague pledges to continue to fund the Afghan army and police.

"They are providing us money, there is no doubt about that. But they say they will not mention the amount in the agreement. We say: Give us less, but mention it in the agreement. Give us less, but write it down," Karzai said in a speech in the capital marking the anniversary of the birth of a revered Afghan writer.

U.S. officials have said they expect to pay about $4 billion a year to fund Afghan forces. Karzai said he wants a written commitment of at least $2 billion. He said he would rather have a firm commitment to a lower figure than a verbal promise for a higher one.

"You have to mention 'at least' in there," Karzai said.

Neither side has said exactly how long this financial commitment is expected to last.

The comments suggest Karzai may be growing increasingly worried that the U.S. will not make good on funding pledges once there are drastically fewer American soldiers risking their lives on Afghan soil. Many Afghans feel they were abandoned by the U.S. after the Soviets pulled out of Afghanistan in 1989 and worry that the same thing will happen again when American troops depart.

The U.S. has already greatly reduced the money it spends on development programs in Afghanistan and the past year has seen a number of NATO nations trying to speed their exits from the country even as they continue to promise to support the Afghan government. On Tuesday, Australia became the latest ally to speed up its timetable as Prime Minister Julia Gillard said they expect to pull out troops nearly a year earlier than what had been an expected 2014 departure.

A spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Kabul declined to comment on Karzai's demand.

U.S. officials have said they expect the document to address economic and development support for Afghanistan but it is unclear if the American negotiators would have the legal authority to make a specific financial commitment.

American administrations request money for specific countries in the foreign aid budget and work with Congress to determine amounts. A guaranteed sum would be highly unusual, especially with the current Democratic administration and a Republican-controlled U.S. House.

At a time when the U.S. is facing budget cuts in domestic programs and a sluggish economy, members of Congress have increasingly questioned the wisdom of spending billions of dollars in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Attacks by Afghan troops against the American forces who are supposed to be training them has also raised doubts about whether the money is worthwhile.

If the strategic partnership is not signed by the NATO summit on May 20-21, it would not necessarily derail negotiations, but it would strike another blow to a U.S.-Afghan alliance that has been on edge for much of this year.

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Comments

[maderaprado]

08:43 AM on 04/19/2012

It is time to give this thief Karzai and his brothers a kick in the pants and bring the boys home. Nation building in a godforsaken country, does not work. Let the russians take it back....And dont allow anyone from that country come to the states...

[clark8642]

01:29 PM on 04/18/2012

There is no way that we can guarantee to continue to provide funding at any level to the Afghans. We cannot even guarantee adequate funding for our own armed forces after 2012 when the debt ceiling sequester kicks in. We should leave now rather than waste additional lives and resources.

[usa1alltheway]

01:25 PM on 04/18/2012

Hey, he can trust obama at his word. Hahahaha

[john yunker]

01:21 PM on 04/18/2012

I said this in a post some weeks ago. The people making profits from these (Iraq too) wars are the rich. That is why Republicans are all for the war. They are so about the money..

[westral]

11:40 AM on 04/18/2012

Get out of there and pay them nothing, most of the money already paid has ended up in the pockets of Afghan politicians.

[SangZe]

11:36 AM on 04/18/2012

Enough! The usa has supported far too many dictators. No more money! No more deaths! Bring the american troops home now. They have served well. Enough!

[smittt]

11:35 AM on 04/18/2012

Why does our Government now days fund so many enemy countries of our people? Countries like Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudi & so on. Giving them billions & billions of Dollars while the economy keeps going down, down, down. Who do our politicians (Congress & the White House) think is benefiting from the out pouring of all these dollars? Who, Besides the few people in the power positions of those countries, the money will “NEVER” benefit the people who live there. Years back when America provided protection in a war torn country, the country supported the cost of our troops being there "Germany". Germany provided support for our troops for over 50 years. But No, Not with the filthy rich muslin nations, Pay, Pay, Pay our enemies while our economy goes to pots. Dam stupid muslim anti-Christian government of ours. November is not far away. I hope that the true Americans realize what is going on in this country, that they email everyone (everyone) on their list and get out and vote in November. Without change (big change) the price of Gasoline & food will continue to Rise & Rise and the Dollars will continue to flood overseas while our banks run dry.

[john yunker]

01:22 PM on 04/18/2012

Rich befriend rich.Personal phylosophies aside

[waykarban]

11:29 AM on 04/18/2012

I can hear Obama telling him now that he thinks his mike is off, "Be patient. Like I told the Russians, I am in the middle of getting re-elected. Once I secure that, I will take care of you."

[Casey90293]

11:17 AM on 04/18/2012

Our tax dollars at work

[lilsebastlan]

11:03 AM on 04/18/2012

I love this story. Reminds me of MENOPAUSE chicken soup for the soul. Lemme get this straight. We train your army, your country has the most lithium deposits, which are in all of today's electronics.and you want cash? How about exporting your own minerals? I know working sounds crazy, and you might not be able to tend the goats all day. For fuchs sake man HELP YOURSELF.

[jistinnkees]

11:42 AM on 04/18/2012

That was our policy exactly in 1989. That got us 9/11. You want a repeat of that. Now again a ten year war in their nation to crush anti American feelings. We can do it again in ten years.

[busterfll]

10:46 AM on 04/18/2012

Get out of Afghanistan now!!!! No deals for Karzai....no $$$billions for him and his brothers/family to pocket. Stop the madness!!!!!
Ever wonder why the USA is looked upon so badly around the World????? This boondoggle in Afghanistan is one!!!! As soon as the USA leaves Afghanistan in 2014 (hopefully sooner) whomever in power will no longer be in power. And, the USA's $$$BILLIONS will be in a swiss bank account.

[jistinnkees]

11:44 AM on 04/18/2012

That was our policy exactly in 1989. That got us 9/11. You want a repeat of that in the next ten years

[busterfll]

12:47 PM on 04/19/2012

Your thoughts on Afghanistan in 1989 when the USA SUPPLIED Afghanistan after the Soviet withdrawal are ridiculous???? DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN THE USA WAS IN AFGHANISTAN IN THE 1970's????? I don't remember reading the USA was in Afghanistan because of what MIGHT HAPPEN SOMEPLACE, SOMEWHERE in the FUTURE!!!!

[ray77]

10:42 AM on 04/18/2012

The US tax payer has to rise up and stop paying taxes to fund criminals like Karzai.Period.
I ,for one, am tired of paying for illegal wars and puppet dictators in the name of Democracy! What a crock!Our kids are getting blown to bits in the North and Karzai lets the Chinese come into the south and set up mining operations for copper, why? because they paid Karzai off! I say enough, pull our troops out now! Let the chinese fight the taliban, First the Russian, then the USA and now they are next in line! They want the copper so bad, pay for it with Chinese blood, NOT AMERICAN!

[loanshark]

10:37 AM on 04/18/2012

Well yea, cash is King. How can Karzai plan to retire on some exotic Island if he doesn't get an infusion of Cash. Remember how those Mexican Presidents have fared after we have infused their economy with Cash, plus the debt forgivness. Some have left Mexico with nearly a Billion dollars to relax and live out their very productive lives. We should feel blessed to know that we contribute to the well being of these great people.

[heartwynd]

10:35 AM on 04/18/2012

I am outraged. We need to leave Afghanistan to it's own devices. We've achieved our goal, Bin Laden is dead. Time to go home and take our Tax Money with us. No need to bail out NON-Americans with American Money while American's here at home are still suffering. Hey, Government, Bail out US!

[kernall]

10:28 AM on 04/18/2012

When we help out another country, why should we be paying? I don't get it. They must be thinking, hey, lets have a war and the United States will pay for it!!! Then they will pay for rebuilding our country after we destroy it!!! How stupid can our government be to let them get away with that and think it is good for America?