Afghan president softens some demands on US deal

Share

AP/Washington Post, 27 November 2013

AAN’s Kate Clark is quoted on Kabul’s perception of the ‘zero option’:

“‘He doesn’t believe in the zero option and so the threat of complete US withdrawal is for him an empty threat. So he feels quite comfortable pushing the US for more,’ said Kate Clark, a senior analyst with the Afghanistan Analysts Network. She added Karzai feels genuinely concerned that, if the deal is signed, ‘the Americans will go back to their old ways, as he sees it — raids on homes and killing civilians, meddling in the elections. Of course, he also loses a lot of personal power if Afghanistan’s future becomes more settled.’”