Afghan President Hamid Karzai said that he prefers that his successor will sign the security pact with the United States, which could keep American troops in the country for a decade or longer, Reuters reported.
"A draft of the agreement obtained by NBC News outlines a sweeping relationship with the U.S. paying for Afghan forces, troops staying on as trainers, their movements highly restricted, valid through 2024. The exact terms of the deal are still being negotiated but Afghan officials tell [NBC] they want about 15,000 troops to remain on bases for another decade at least," reported NBC's Richard Engel.
"U.S. officials say they're considering 7 to 8,000. Without the U.S. troops, the Afghan government could collapse," Engel added.
Karzai spoke to about 2,500 tribal elders and political leaders from across Afghanistan who gathered in Kabul for a grand council to debate whether to allow the troops to say in the country. Karzai said that any possible agreement on the status of U.S. forces would have to wait until next year's presidential election.
"This pact should be signed when the election has already taken place, properly and with dignity," Karzai said.
U.S. troops have been in Afghanistan since 2001. It is America's longest war in its history.
"We hope that they will move quickly to approve the text of that agreement," White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters.
"Karzai called the assembly to muster public support for a pact regarded by many Afghans with contempt. As he spoke about U.S. assurances, a female senator leapt up to interrupt him, shouting that any deal with the Americans amounted to selling the country out," Reuters reported.
President Obama, meanwhile, sent a letter to Karzai, indicating that the United States will respect Afghan sovereignty.
"We will continue to make every effort to respect the sanctity and dignity of Afghans in their homes and in their daily lives, just as we do for our own citizens," Obama wrote in the letter released on Thursday morning.
"Many of my countrymen and women have given their lives or been seriously wounded in the pursuit of protecting Afghans, and we honor the enormous sacrifices they have made, side by side with Afghans," Obama added in the letter.
