Our troops needed longer Afghan term: US

July 31, 2013 07:53

The US is against the "zero option" for the number of troops that would remain in Afghanistan after 2014, arguing that the mission is still not yet accomplished, said a Pentagon official.

However, it would have no other option except for the "zero option", if the United States didn't successfully negotiate a security deal with Kabul that will give it a legal basis for having forces in Afghanistan after 2014, said Peter Lavoy, acting assistant secretary of defence for Asia Pacific Security Affairs.

"If we don't get the permission of Afghan government in the form of a bilateral security agreement, then we will not be able to continue this job of working with the Afghan National Security Forces and then you end up with zero," he said yesterday.

He added that US wants to have its presence in Afghanistan post 2014.

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