Afghan public shows various reactions on long-term relations with U.S.

Afghan public shows various reactions on long-term relations with U.S.

The war-tired Afghans have shown mixed reactions on a proposed long-term strategic partnership with the Unites States of American a day after a national assembly backed government's call for having an agreement with the United States in near future.

A four-day Loya Jirga or traditional grand assembly, with over 2,300 participants including tribal elders, notables, lawmakers and government functionaries, kicked off in capital city of Kabul on Wednesday and wrapped up on Saturday.

In a 76-article resolution read-out at the end of the four-day Jirga, the participants expressed their support to ink strategic relationship with the United States, believing it would benefit war-torn Afghanistan in all fields.

"I have no idea about strategic partnership, what is it like, but the only thing it want from the government and international community is that they should increase my salary, I cannot fed my family with this 5,000 Afghanis (104 U.S. dollars)," a worker with the Kabul municipality Sakhi, who like many Afghans goes only on one name, told Xinhua on Sunday while working to clean up a dusty road here.

"It is no matter for me if this country has any relations with others but I am thinking how to cope with this price hike. Living cost is very high here and nobody cares about it," Sakhi went on to say while complaining about the skyrocketing prices of basic foodstuff and fuel as the winter is coming the war-torn country.

"Every day there are killing and bombing, people are angry with both side of the war as Taliban are killing people with suicide bombers foreigners are capturing innocent during raids," he said.

However, the Jirga resolution said the NATO and U.S. forces should halt night raid operations on villages and stop arresting of Afghan civilians in war on insurgents.

It also demanded the U.S. military to hand over any detention center in Afghan soil to the Afghan government.

"In my opinion having strategic partnership with the United States is a step that is necessary for this country, we have been fed up with 30-year of war, we want peace and a stop of neighboring counties' interference, this step will eventually stop it," a bystander, Abdul Wahab said to Xinhua.

The Jirga in part of the resolution said that the United States should not bring nuclear, biological and chemical weapons to Afghanistan.

It also noted that "inking strategic partnership with the United States would be for 10 years and can be extended if necessary."

The resolution also recommended that the strategic partnership between Afghanistan and the United States should be inked "between two sovereign independent countries," and "the documents of strategic partnership should be registered with the United Nations" .

"For my part, I would like to say this relations with the United States would further cause the war in this country as many religious people will call on people to start fighting with this government and its allied forces," another passerby Abdul Wasah, 35, said.

One day after the decisions of the Jirag was announced hundreds of university students came to the street in Nangarhar province 120 km east of Afghan capital Kabul on Sunday and lashed at the Jirga recommendations in favor of U.S.-Afghan strategic partnership and called for the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO-led forces from Afghanistan.

The protesters while blocking the main road connecting Nangarhar's provincial capital Jalalabad city to Kabul were chanting "death with government", "death with U.S.," as well as "foreigners out of Afghanistan".

The demonstrators dispersed peacefully after three hours.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai also on Saturday welcomed decisions taken by country's Loya Jirga or grand assembly on a proposed strategic partnership with the United States.

"I agree with your decisions and the resolution readout today has been a comprehensive decision that will be respected and implemented," President Karzai in his short speech at the end of the assembly.

"I welcome and support your decisions," Karzai said in his speech to the audience after the resolution was readout at the end of the historic Jirga.

"We will put into practice these decisions and all the course of this process will be implemented by your discussions," the Afghan President further said.

"This strategic partnership with the United States will never be signed without discussing with you and that it will be clear and unambiguous," Karzai added.

"If the national interests of Afghans are not clear in this pact it would not be implemented," Afghan President said, adding "this pact (the strategic partnership with the United States) will be beneficial for Afghanistan."

English.news.cn   2011-11-20 19:59:10 FeedbackPrintRSS
by Farid Behbud, Zhang Jianhua

KABUL, Nov. 20 (Xinhua)