BSA Needs Signing in 'Weeks' not 'Months'

The White House continues to stress the importance of the quick signing of the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA). However, there is no indication that Karzai will sign it. Karzai has stated that he will leave the signing of the BSA to his successor to be decided in the upcoming Afghan presidential elections in April. It would appear that Karzai seems content in the knowledge that the U.S. really won't walk away from Afghanistan prior to April 2014. He also probably has determined that the U.S. and the other ISAF Coalition partners can do 'parallel planning' for both a residual force under the Resolute Support mission and the prospect of a complete withdrawal prior to January 2015. What has become painfully obvious is the lack of leverage that the international community has on Karzai and his cronies! Read more in "White House: Afghan troop deal must be signed in weeks and not months", The Hill Blog, January 6, 2014.