Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Afghan elders to decide on immunity for US troops: Karzai

Afghan elders to decide on immunity for US troops: Karzai: Afghan elders will decide on the key issue of whether American soldiers remaining in the country after 2014 will be granted immunity from prosecution, President Hamid Karzai said on Monday.
US President Barack Obama warned last week that no American troops would remain behind in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of NATO forces in 2014 unless they were granted immunity from prosecution in local courts.
"The US is standing firm by its demand for immunity for its soldiers," Karzai told a news conference on his return from Washington where he held talks with Obama on Friday.
"The Afghan government can't decide on this. This is up to the Afghan nation to decide. The Loya Jirga will decide," he said, referring to the national assembly of tribal elders.