KABUL -- The Afghan Taliban is urging members of an upcoming grand council not to approve a security pact between the United States and the government of President Hamid Karzai.
RFE/RL received a copy of a Taliban letter that calls on members of the loya jirga not to participate in the meeting where the security deal will be discussed.
The Taliban said that approving the security agreement would be a betrayal of the Afghan people and that those approving the deal would be "traitors."
The agreement would allow the U.S. authorities to maintain legal jurisdiction over those U.S. troops who remain in Afghanistan after the 2014 drawdown of foreign forces.
The loya jirga is tentatively due to assemble on November 19-21 in Kabul.
RFE/RL received a copy of a Taliban letter that calls on members of the loya jirga not to participate in the meeting where the security deal will be discussed.
The Taliban said that approving the security agreement would be a betrayal of the Afghan people and that those approving the deal would be "traitors."
The agreement would allow the U.S. authorities to maintain legal jurisdiction over those U.S. troops who remain in Afghanistan after the 2014 drawdown of foreign forces.
The loya jirga is tentatively due to assemble on November 19-21 in Kabul.
