Kerry, Karzai Reach Partial Deal on Security

Assembly of elders will decide if U.S. troops get immunity from Afghan law

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Following a day of talks in the capital city of Kabul, Secretary of State John Kerry and Afghan President Hamid Karzai reached a preliminary agreement Saturday to maintain a limited U.S. troop presence beyond 2014, Reuters reports.

But a key precept—giving the U.S. legal jurisdiction over its troops—is still under debate, and Karzai has said he will leave it up to an assembly of elders to decide. The U.S. says it cannot agree to the security pact without ensuring immunity from Afghan law.

The loya jirga, as the assembly is called, can consist of as many as 1,000 people, though traditionally they have voted in favor of immunity.

[Reuters]