Afghan President Lashes Out At US ‘Threats’

PARIS – Afghanistan PresidentHamid Karzai lashed out at theUnited States, accusing it ofmaking threats in the disputeover an agreement to keep UStroops in the country beyond2014.In an interview published todayby the French daily Le Monde,Karzai says the US is “absolutely”acting like a colonial powerin its attempts to force him tosign the bilateral security agreementby the end of this year.The paper quoted him as saying:”The threats they are making,’We won’t pay salaries, we’lldrive you into a civil war.’ Theseare threats.”Washington and Nato officialssay the pact is critical to the planto keep thousands of forces inAfghanistan after 2014 for atraining and counterterrorismmission. Karzai says he backsthe long-delayed security agreementbut balks at signing it himself.Although a national assemblyof 2,500 delegates known asthe Loya Jirga endorsed the deallast month and backed a USrequest that it be signed by theend of the year, Karzai is deferringthat to his successor.Much is at stake if the deal fallsapart. Afghanistan could lose upto $15 billion a year in aid, effectivelycollapsing its fragile economyand making it unable to payits army and police.