Matthew Rosenberg & Graham Bowley
The United States declared Afghanistan a major, non-NATO ally on Saturday with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton personally delivering the news of Afghanistan’s entry into a club that includes Israel, Japan, Pakistan and other close Asian and Middle Eastern allies.
The move, announced as Clinton stood alongside President Hamid Karzai on the grounds of the presidential palace here, was part of a broad strategic partnership deal signed by the United States and Afghanistan in May, she said. The pact went into effect this past week.
The designation by the United States grants special privileges, like access to excess American military supplies, and training, to countries, Clinton said at the news conference in Kabul. In a separate statement, the State Department said Afghanistan would be able to benefit in some areas of military planning, and procurement.
Afghanistan will also be able to obtain loans of equipment from the United States and financing for leasing other equipment. The agreement does not, however, “entail any security commitment” by the United States to Afghanistan, the State Department said, unlike America’s commitment to its allies under NATO treaties.
Afghanistan’s designation as a formal ally was the latest in a series of recent American moves that have eased — though not fully erased — Afghan fears of being abandoned at the end of NATO’s combat mission in 2014.
The next step, Afghan and American officials say, is working out a deal that would keep a residual American force here to continue training Afghan soldiers and tracking down insurgents after 2014. Talks on the arrangement have not yet begun, American officials say, and estimates they offer on the number of troops that could stay vary from as little as 10,000 to as many as 25,000 or 30,000.
... contd.
Tags: United States, Afghanistan, non-NATO ally, Hillary Clinton
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The United States declared Afghanistan a major, non-NATO ally on Saturday with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton personally delivering the news of Afghanistan’s entry into a club that includes Israel, Japan, Pakistan and other close Asian and Middle Eastern allies.
The move, announced as Clinton stood alongside President Hamid Karzai on the grounds of the presidential palace here, was part of a broad strategic partnership deal signed by the United States and Afghanistan in May, she said. The pact went into effect this past week.
The designation by the United States grants special privileges, like access to excess American military supplies, and training, to countries, Clinton said at the news conference in Kabul. In a separate statement, the State Department said Afghanistan would be able to benefit in some areas of military planning, and procurement.
Afghanistan will also be able to obtain loans of equipment from the United States and financing for leasing other equipment. The agreement does not, however, “entail any security commitment” by the United States to Afghanistan, the State Department said, unlike America’s commitment to its allies under NATO treaties.
Afghanistan’s designation as a formal ally was the latest in a series of recent American moves that have eased — though not fully erased — Afghan fears of being abandoned at the end of NATO’s combat mission in 2014.
The next step, Afghan and American officials say, is working out a deal that would keep a residual American force here to continue training Afghan soldiers and tracking down insurgents after 2014. Talks on the arrangement have not yet begun, American officials say, and estimates they offer on the number of troops that could stay vary from as little as 10,000 to as many as 25,000 or 30,000.
... contd.
Tags: United States, Afghanistan, non-NATO ally, Hillary Clinton
Previous StoryBee institute courses a hit with youngsters
[h=3]Reader's Comments | Post a comment[/h]