News - Afghanistan

The US-Afghanistan strategic long-term pact does not include the establishment of US permanent military bases in Afghanistan, the Afghan President Hamid Karzai spokesman, Aimal Faizi, said Sunday.

Kabul and Washington will discuss the establishment of US permanent bases in Afghanistan only after the long-term agreement is signed, Faizi told TOLOnews.

"There are still some ambiguous points that the US needs to clarify to the Afghan government," he said.

"When those points are clarified, the establishment of US military bases will be agreed by signing a [separate] defensive document."

Faizi said the talks between the two nations regarding US-led night raids would begin soon.

Karzai has called for the night raids to end before any long-term agreement is signed.

The other main obstacle - the transfer of US-run prisons in Afghanistan to Afghan security - was cleared with an agreement signed less than a fortnight ago to transfer responsibility to Afghanistan within six months.