No U.S. or NATO Support to Afghanistan without BSA

KABUL: (MEP) – In the margins of a meeting in Brussels, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen praised the International Security Assistance Force’s (ISAF) cooperation with the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) in Kunar province.

Referring to the ISAF air support to Afghan forces in Ghazi Abad district of Kunar province, Mr. Rasmussen called the support a good sign of cooperation between the foreign and local troops.

“As far as I am informed, ISAF was actually requested to provide air support, and we did, we did. Of course, I cannot go into operational details,” NATO Secretary General Andres Fogh Rasmussen said. “I see it as an example of excellent cooperation between the Afghan Security Force and ISAF.

Meanwhile, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Douglas E. Lute emphasized that not signing the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) between Kabul and Washington will result in ending the mission of the U.S. and NATO in Afghanistan next year.

“Beside the BSA between the United States and Afghanistan, but beyond that and based on the BSA, there is a similar agreement, a parallel agreement called Status of Forces Agreement. So there are two parallel political documents that remain unsigned,” U.S. Ambassador to NATO Douglas E. Lute said. “Without [them] there will be no U.S. mission this time next year, and there will be no NATO mission.”

This is while in a telephone conversation with President Karzai, President Obama proposed the option of a full U.S. withdrawal due to President Karzai’s refusal to sign the BSA.