Afghanistan signed Bilateral Security Agreement with the US

On 30^th September 2014, Afghanistan signed Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) with the US. The main aim of agreement is to allow some US troops to remain in the country till 2015.

National Security Adviser of Afghanistan Mohammad Hanif Atmar and US Ambassador James Cunningham signed BSA at the presidential palace of Afghanistan in Kabul.

Signing of the BSA was the first act of the new government in Afghanistan headed by President Ashraf Ghani who was sworn-in on 29 September 2014.

Key features of Bilateral Security Arrangement (BSA):

• After December 2014, 12000 foreign military personnel will stay in Afghanistan when the combat mission of Afghanistan's US-led NATO force ends.
• After the end combat mission of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) in December 2014, 10000 US soldiers will remain in Afghanistan. 
• American troops will continue training, advising and equipping Afghan soldiers and police, and to carry out counter-terrorism operations.
• This agreement will allow US to hold a civil or criminal trial or take other disciplinary action, as appropriate, in the territory of Afghanistan in the case that a US soldier is accused of a crime.
• It does not require US forces to intervene if Afghanistan comes under foreign attack.
• Foreign troops would not be able to enter holy sites or civilian homes. This was considered as a longstanding demand of former President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai.
• The US has the right to keep bases in Afghanistan as long as the security pact is in force, and in return it promises to raise funds to train and equip the Afghan security forces, which now number 350000.

Background for signing this agreement:

Talks on the security agreement began in November 2012. The aim of these talks was to reach an agreement by May 2013.

However, former President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai had refused to sign the deal in a disagreement that came to symbolise the breakdown of Afghan-US relations.

During the poll campaign trail, both Ghani and his poll rival Abdullah Abdullah had vowed to reverse Karzai's decision.

The signing of the deal by newly elected President Ashraf Ghani is intended to fix  the ties with United States.