Publish Date: 9 December 2013 - 18:26

TEHRAN, Dec. 9 (MNA) – An Iranian political commentator has answered questions on the US and Afghanistan security agreement.

Pir Mohammad Molazehi political expert in Indian subcontinent participated in an interview to Mehr News and discussed the reasons why would the US persist on the security deal with Afghanistan. Asked why would Hamid Karzai accept a strategic deal with Washington,  he told that “Loya Jirga  in a recent session proposed the signing of the security accord with Washington and persuaded Karzai to accept the conditions of the treaty,” he added.

“Afghan president expressed willingness to sign the deal after the presidential elections in Afghanistan. However, the US side persisted on signing of the deal and work out the Afghanistan case before the Christian New Year and budget bill discussion in the Congress,” said Molazehi.

Asked whether an American presence in Afghanistan would provide the country’s security, Molazehi told that despite the large number of troops the US had in Afghanistan, “they have failed to provide the security demanded by Afghan people, and if they wanted the rule of law and stability in Afghanistan, they had the military might necessary for that. But they did not seek to bring stability, but they had been seeking strategic objectives of supervising the whole Asia and the Middle East.”

In response to the question whether the Afghan president would repeal the security agreement, he told that it was unlikely, “ since Afghans desperately need the presence of military, their government need financial sources and is dependent on aid from other countries,” he said.

“Doubtless that if the US fully withdraws from Afghanistan, Taliban is capable of capturing Kabul, and Afghan forces lack advanced artillery to resist the Taliban insurgence,” he added.

About one of the articles of the agreement which grants exemption from legal suits and has been the matter of controversial debate, Molazehi said that Luya Jirga in a session announced that US troops should be tried in US bases Afghanistan instead of trial in the US soil, “and an Afghan judiciary board would also attend the court, but the important thing that the judges would be Americans yet,” he said.

Asked about the impact of the agreement on the security of Afghan neighbor countries, Molazehi said that Iran was a major opponent of the agreement, and Russia, China, Pakistan and to some extent, India have voiced disagreements with the security accord. “In Tehran’s view, military presence is a threat to Iran’s security, since the prospect of the relations between Iran and the US is not clear,” he said.

“Two American bases in Helmand an Herat Provinces are close to Iranian borders, and although Washington has announced that it would not attack any third country from Afghan soil, it is however possible given the weaknesses in Kabul,” Molazehi asserted.

SH/ZK
MNA
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