After months of
uncertainty following a disputed election to succeed President Hamid Karzai,
the newly sworn in Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Tuesday signed the long-delayed bilateral security agreement
with the US as well as a follow on status of forces agreement with NATO.
President Barack Obama
praised
the agreement, which gives both US and NATO forces the necessary legal
protections to remain in country in an advise and assist capacity following the
end of the International Security Assistance Force mission in December. “The BSA reflects our continued commitment to support
the new Afghan unity government, and we look forward to working with this new
government to cement an enduring partnership that strengthens Afghan
sovereignty, stability, unity, and prosperity, and that contributes to our
shared goal of defeating al Qaeda and its extremist affiliates,” said Obama. NATO’s
outgoing
Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the agreements open “
a new chapter for
cooperation between NATO, our partners, and the Afghan National Security
Forces.” Alliance leaders
came
together earlier this year in Brussels to outline the plan for a follow on
mission, which would involve roughly 10,000 troops from the US and other
nations. The new NATO SOFA provides the legal basis for the Alliance’s follow
on mission, dubbed Operation Resolute Support. The new mission can now begin on
Jan. 1, 2015, as planned. Rasmussen said NATO would remain committed to help
finance the Afghan security forces through 2017.