Afghans ‘ready’ to sign US security pact: Hamid Karzai

The Afghan president told the top US military commander on Monday that he was ready in principle to let American troops stay in Afghanistan beyond 2014, a month after suspending security talks. General Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, is the most senior American to meet Hamid Karzai since he suspended negotiations for a long-term security pact in protest at how the Taliban opened a liaison office in Qatar. Karzai’s office said both sides discussed the Afghan-US security pact. “President Karzai once again emphasised that the Afghan people have suffered from long years of war in their country, and want peace to be restored,” a statement said. “President Karzai said with that hope, Afghans are ready to sign a security pact with the US, on condition that it leads to peace and stability in the country, the strengthening of Afghan forces, and a united and sovereign Afghanistan,” it added. Karzai suspended the security talks, furious that the Taliban styled their office in Doha as an embassy for a self-styled government in waiting.