Progress with a catch in Afghanistan troop negotiations

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Stars and Stripes
, 13 
October 2013

AAN’s Kate Clark is quoted in this article about the Afghan-US negotations over an bilateral security agreement:

“’He’s in an unenviable position,’ said Kate Clark, an analyst with the Kabul-based Afghanistan Analysts Network, referring to Karzai. ‘He’s the leader of a nation which is very reliant on foreign aid, both budgetary and military, yet he wants to be seen as a sovereign leader.’ … While the bilateral security agreement is not yet a done deal and Karzai’s mention of remaining ‘technical details’ to sort out is ominous, Kabul and Washington do seem much closer to agreement, and if Karzai wants the Loya Jirga to back him, he can make it happen, Clark said. ‘I don’t think it’s over until it’s written, signed, sealed, and published, but clearly both sides see something workable.’”