thing from karzai to this president in particular. you're right, the president has written a letter to him, saying that yes, we have come to an agreement on the bilateral security agreement. and the united states is on questioned to ending the combat mission of american forces in afghanistan. the longest war in american history. the president writes that karzai will be cooperating and training and advising and assisting forces, and it would be a residual force. after 2014, that's the last year of american forces. addressing a significant concern of the afghan people and the karzai government. the president wrote, i know you've been concerned for sometime to limit the conflict on the afghan people, with the sense five issue of the safety and privacy of people in their home. we will make every effort to make concessions for afghans in their homes and daily lives. that's in direct reference to nateo forces, nighttime raids looking for terrorists and the taliban, and that has not set well for many people in afghanistan. you can imagine th

is this karzai being karzai, the flaky guy that the u.s. is used to dealing with, never knowing where he's going to come down on an issue, saying all sorts of threatening things and then finally doing what we ask, or is this deal in real jeopardy? >> reporter: it seems like this deal is in real jeopardy, but it's very hard to know. this could be karzai negotiating, him posturing or karzai has taken a decision that he wants to make a deal with the taliban, make a deal to reintegrate the opposition into the future government of afghanistan, and in order to do that he can't have a deal with the united states. so i really don't think we know at this stage how serious karzai is. i've spoken to many different afghan officials and some of them have told me they don't think that karzai wants a deal with the united states. they think he would rather be the person who signs a deal that sees american troops leave with some integration process. if you look at the new demand karzai is putting forward, putting this deal in jeopardy, they're all about the

karzai wants some continuing presence. exit there are other talks i want to ask you about like the nuclear program that has failed to produce a deal. negotiations will continue tomorrow. them weres between considered serious. the white house is pressured to get a deal done soon or give up on the talks. the senate indicated it would only give president obama until next month before pressing ahead with new sanctions against iran. david, we don't know exactly what came out of today's talks. they are keeping a tight lid on it. is it a good sign they are carrying on tomorrow? >> i don't think the negotiation has blown up. 24 hours ago, white house officials were genuinely optimistic that a deal was very close. there was discussion of secretary of state kerry flying to geneva. >> he will wait until there is actually a deal? >> he won't go until he knows there is a deal. a basic elements of this deal have been negotiated. whether it is last-minute pressure from one of the u.s. negotiating partners -- we don't know. for the kind o

karzai refusing, saying he wants more things added. the u.s. says his waiting to sign could force u.s. troops out of the region too soon. protesters in thailand stepping up their campaign to oust their prime minister. protest leaders are urging supporters to mount more blockades of government buildings across the road. >>> a tiny book of psalms is on the auction block. it is believed to be the first book printed in this the us. now it is expected to set a record price attack shun. >> reporter: access to this low-lit corner of the boston public library is limited and good reason. among the most valuable items this book. the first book written and printed in the u.s. back in 1640. it is a translation of the book of psalm, and represents a rebelian against england. the original words are sometimes hard to read, but saum -- psalms 23 is still recognizable. >> in the valley of death shall i walk, none ill i'll fear. >> reporter: there are only 11 known copies of the book in in existence. this one is owned by the old south church in boston. its first

>> there are two allegations that karzai has made. possibly so he can see a transition to the next government, that's one that he would like to see, in other words, he can still have some influence and effect. the second calculation is as jennifer was saying: that the united states believes it needs afghanistan more than afghans believe they need the united states. and this is the mistake. karzai may not be crazy but he's absolutely wrong if he thinks the united states will not pull out the troops with the absence of a bilateral security agreement. >> and if the united states were to pull out the troops does karzai survive as leader of afghanistan? >> that's just a technical question, karzai is out at the end of the year, so it won'ting him. the afghan national security forces, though much stronger than years ago, aren't quite ready to take this mission on by themselves. i also think the political signal that the failure to sign this agreement sends will reverberate throughout the world and you will see a dropoff on the willingness to

karzai is a lame duck. what's happened over the last several days is a repeat of what's happened many times repeatedly over the last 10 years where we have put pressure on him and he is turning it into a test of wills where we have to be tough. it's a path we have trod before. it's not worked very well for us. it's not gotten us what we need. >> has it got edge him anything? >> it often has, which is why he keeps repeating that gave behavior. i think we fell into that trap this time. the dualing press statements by president karzai, by the white house actually don't reflect very well on either side in my view and don't help either side get to their interests. it's clear as professor jalali was saying as the vast numbern of leading figures coming together, they want the bilateral security agreement and they want it now. the united states is ready to sign it. we have the capability to implement it. we sent an -- set an art fibl deadline. didn't have to be the timing we did and now we are sticking by it to pre

president karzai is saying it wouldn't be signed until april. the administration wanted it done last month. which is it? >> well, the two sides agreed last november that we would do this within a year and we continue to believe it's important to achieve that timetable. we're pleased that we were able to reach agreement within that time frame on the text and we're hopeful that the loya jirga will give a positive signal. we're pretty confident that the afghan parliament will also review this and it will be positive and we do expect that it will be signed expeditiously thereafter. we think that's important both because we have our own need to plan for our future commitment or lack of commitment if it's -- if the agreement is never concluded. all of the other participants in i.s.a.f.-- there's some 40 of them-- they need to plan and their plans are dependent on our plans. and finally, afghanistan is going to a very difficult, delicate election at a time of considerable uncertainty and we feed to provide the maximum degree of certainty and the backg

so my sense is that karzai doesn't want to be a lame duck. he wants to keep his leverage as long as he can do it. he has some horses in this presidential election field of 11 candidates. i think that he just doesn't want to let go. so he's going to make this very, very difficult. i suspect at the 11th hour on the 11th day he'll accede to this because really the stakes are very high for afghanistan. >> what are the chances that afghanistan starts to go in the way of iraq, in the way we've seen it sort of dissolve on the ground and continue to be a security problem even though, as we saw, that we're leaving. >> as martha knows, iraq is the cautionary tale. we drug those talks -- those talks dragged on way too late and in the very end it became politically expedient to throw our hands up and say zero option, we're out of there. if you look at iraq today, it's gone back to almost the levels of violence of 2007, al qaeda in iraq is ascended and they could evolve into a civil war and what you don't want in afghanistan. >> they say the agreement is

country until two thousand and twenty four secretary of state john kerry and afghan president hamid karzai reached the accord on the heels of the loya jirga or afghanistan's grand assembly however just today cars i said that he would delay signing the agreement until after the presidential elections in april twenty fourth team and with these negotiations one point of contention has been the number of criminal incidents which afghan civilians have been executed via night raids or drone strikes that kerry said an apology on behalf of the us for these instances is off the table if the security agreement is approved it will cement the notion that the war in afghanistan is far from over and it will extend well beyond the twenty fourteen deadline or bridgeman set by obama of course the u.s. has also promised to continue funding afghan security forces so if bin ladin dead for years and no clear goal of why the u.s. is so keen on staying in afghanistan i'll break it all down i'm joined by ray mcgovern former cia analyst thank you so much for coming in right welcome so ray what do you think the out

the presidents letter was read and it was satisfactory. >> what is karzai doing? what game is he playing? >> it is hard to understand. .e is about to leave office it may be a factor that he wants to stay relevant to the very last minute. the things that really give him leverage our the security agreement and the elections. >> kenny americans say, we are not prepared to wait for after the election, we are going to ?ull our troops back in >> i would advise against that. i think it would be a mistake. it is vital to afghanistan and america's security. >> the afghan people probably want this more than the american people. >> they understand the importance of it. the immediate circumstances, the u.s. doesn't show patients. -- patience. it reacts in a way the agreement doesn't take place and then it is a security challenge for both afghanistan and the world. >> thanks for coming in. 10% of the population have fled their homes, one million people are now in need of urgent food aid. sending an additional 1000 soldiers to join the african union led force that is trying to

hamid karzai and washington wrangle over afghanistan's future security. you're watching al jazeera live from doha. also ahead - rescue workers pull bodies from the rubble of a collapsed supermarket in latvia. >> i'm tim friend at london police headquarters where detectives are investigating the case of three women held as slaves for 30 years. >> welcome to the program. afghan tribal leaders are meeting for a second day to discuss a crucial security deal for the united states. both sides have not been able to agree on when to implement the agreement. at the loya jirga meeting president hamid karzai said he wanted the deal signed after elections. the u.s. want it completed by the end of next year. it sets out rules over jurisdiction and power of troops that will remain in the county, we'll get more from jane ferguson. the u.s. said it's not practical or possible to delay signing the deal. clearly comments took everyone by surprise. >> they did. they have been described by journalists reporting the story as a bombshell for afghans as well as those in washing

that while being so tainted president obama has sent a letter to president karzai. mike there were concerns that karzai wanted a letter of apology. >> well, there are a number of issues on the table, as though united states tries to negotiation operations, participate has said time and time again that he is going to end the longest war in american history. there will be a residual force who remain in afghanistan. will they have immunity in afghan courts? but perhaps the touchiest issue are nighttime raids into the homes of afghan people. obviously it has happened time and time again over the course of the last several years. a very touchy subject with afghans as those forces hunt out taliban fighters. hamid convened a national council of elders to talk about the agreement on the table, an agreement that president obama says is waiting to be signed, but not so fast says hamid karzai. >> my trust with america is not good. i have argued with them regarding the security of our people, and they have made propaganda against me. >> you mentioned the letter that president o

karzai is a lame duck. what's happened over the last several days is a repeat of what's happened many times repeatedly over the last 10 years where we have put pressure on him and he is turning it into a test of wills where we have to be tough. it's a path we have trod before. us. it's not gotten us what we need. >> has it got edge him anything? >> it often has, which is why he keeps repeating that gave behavior. i think we fell into that trap this time. the dualing press statements by president karzai, by the white house actually don't reflect very well on either side in my view and don't help either side get to their interests. it's clear as professor jalali was saying as the vast numbern of leading figures coming together, they want the bilateral security agreement and they want it now. the united states is ready to sign it. we have the capability to implement it. we sent an -- set an art fibl deadline. didn't have to be the timing we did and now we are sticking by it to preserve our own pride. we need t

presidential election well karva karzai was called by our ambassador in a kabul i can bury as not an adequate strategic partner and didn't he show that today kerry was mousetrap and thinking how to deal karzai goes and tells the jirga look you know we have to vote on this and i'm not sure i trust the u.s. they don't trust me and so we're at all oral in this is what i can very worried about that once you have a reliable partner to work with you're up to this trick without a paddle and also you know that i can very said this is way back in november november nine of number six of two thousand and nine he said you know i think that karzai would like to have us invest even more freely in there because he thinks that the u.s. is just interested in in fighting it in eternal war on terror and permanent military bases to have influence in that immediate area well i can very have it exactly right karzai is acting that way it's an insoluble problem as long as the populace nani's play the game of feeding the insurgents the parker studies or our loyal allies of course and this whole question of o

karzai probably doesn't know. he's making one calculation and military officials certainly don't know. >> and you also have to wonder whether karzai is looking for a little attention knowing that the u.s. is now moving into a completely different direction with another of his neighbors, iran. all of that and other implications. >> reporter: very interesting, difficult negotiations. to negotiate a deal with iran, with persia, right across the border, and now trying to negotiate a deal long term with afghanistan and to protect the legacy of america's longest war because for a lot of the soldiers that we've been speaking to, it's just personal. they come here time and time again. they've invested so much. they put their family lives on hold. they've lost friends here. so the collapse of afghanistan would be in a certain way a personal affront to what they have done. so you also have to keep the investment, personal and otherwise, that the united states military has put into this conflict, and that's also part of the

leaders recommended that karzai sign the agreement, he is balking. he wants to see an end to private-home raids in afghanistan. the u.s. are allowed in the name of counter terrorism to do that now. and he wants to see inmates at guantanamo bay released. and this centered around the elections, dell. he wants to delay until the april deadline gets closer for the presidential election. however, that is unacceptable to the white house. dell. >> libby what does this mean for the thousands of troops still in afghanistan. >> it could mean a lot. susan rice met yesterday karzai, and she said these delays could be very costly. >> if the agreement isn't signed properly, what i said to the president is we would have no choice, we would be compelled by necessity, not our preference to have to begin to plan for the prospect that we will not be able to keep our troops here. and then the nature of our partnership and the investments that we have made will be more difficult to sustain. >> she relayed the message if karzai does not sign this soon, it could mean the p

presidential election well karzai was called by our ambassador in a kabul i can bury not an adequate strategic partner and didn't show that today kerry was mousetrap and thinking how to deal karzai goes and tells the jirga look you know we have to vote on this and i'm not sure i trust the u.s. they don't trust me and so we're at all oral in this is what i can bury worried about that is what you have a reliable partner to work with you're up to this trick without a paddle and also you know that i can very said this way back in november november nine of number six of two thousand and nine he said you know i think that karzai would like to have us investment more freely in there because he thinks that the u.s. is just interested in in fighting it in eternal war on terror and permanent military bases to have influence in that immediate area well i can very had it exactly right karzai is acting that way it's an insoluble problem as long as the populace nani's play the game of feeding the insurgents to park their studies or are loyal allies of course and this whole question of of supply of

president hamid karzai is sticking to his position. he won't sign the agreement until after presidential elections next year. >> karzai does not have the right to say these words. i am saying this ising amistake he's making. whatever karzai wants from them it has been accepted but he wants to delay the agreement. this is not for the benefit of afghanistan. this is in detriment to afghanistan. >> reporter: in the busy markets of the capitol people are worried about their future if the agreement isn't signed. >> pakistans are our enemy, if iran is our enemy, and if we make enemy our enemy, too, how do we make a living here? there should be support to make a living and develop a stable future. >> reporter: some believe karzai is worried about his legacy. he doesn't want to be remembered as a president intimidated by foreigners. they, however, point out the country should come first. >> even if karzai sacrifices, we should do an historic thing for the country in which the country and its record are stronger. he, too, should sacrifice himse

-- >> it's a burst from karzai that we have seen in the past. >> is karzai aware of the domestic politics here? that there is not a lot of public demand for troops to be kept there longer? >> i don't think he is. he talked to u.s. officials and afghan officials. even the reporting that has been coming out over the agreement over the last few weeks, it was over the minutia. are they going to get a deal on the immunity? are they going to have the ability to conduct raids and negotiating points of this agreement. not is it a good idea to have an agreement that would extend the longest war in u.s. history for another decade or more for an unclear goal. if u.s. troops stayed here for 7,000 or 8,000, what would they be doing when they are locked in their bases? what is there purpose? aren't they karzai's body guard for propping up the government and increasingly isolated from the reality of the rest of the country? >> let me go to the general on that point. you and i exchanged comments about this yesterday. you are critical of this deal. explain. >> i think it's a muddled thinking. the question

i met karzai on several i met karzai on several occasions. occasions. >> he became somewhat of a >> he became somewhat of a surprise to the united states. surprise to the united states. >> to be quite honest, i didn't >> to be quite honest, i didn't think the united states was think the united states was focusing much on afghanistan focusing much on afghanistan much at all until about 2009. much at all until about 2009. so there was a kind so there was a kind of of maintenance maintenance type of situation, type of situation, where president bush would talk where president bush would talk to carr disien one on to carr disien one on one-caw one-caw karzai one on one in a video karzai one on one in a video conference. conference. but national security at that but national security at that time was really focused on iraq. time was really focused on iraq. >> what do you see in what he's >> what do you see in what he's doing now it seems in some sense doing now it seems in some sense rebellious, difficult rebellious, difficult and trance and tranc

all troops out of the country and let afghan troops take on the taliban on their own president hamid karzai and the u.s. secretary of state john kerry have a ready a reached an agreement that would provide immunity for u.s. troops for another decade now the tribal elders are have their turn to modify the deal after their vote will go on to afghanistan's parliament then back to karzai for his finals. sure but in a surprising turn cause i announce today that he plans to defer the signing to his successor after the elections in april for more on this meeting i'm joined now by

under the karzai rules they wouldn't be able to launch a preemptive strike to protect themselves. that's unacceptable to the u.s. government, to the u.s. military. those things have to be worked out in the -- and then a vote from the afghan parliament and officials here are saying, they are looking at least another 60 days before any kind of final agreement is reached there in afghanistan with the u.s. they hope. >> and in addition to some of those questions regarding how the troops would be able to move around the country, there's also as you've heard and know, objections to this notion or this request as a part of this negotiation that karzai would want an apology, a letter of apology from the president. >> well, the president's national security adviser, susan rice already said this morning, that's not going to happen. there's going to be no apology from the president. already the white house, the president, the military has repeatedly -- expressed its regrets for any mistakes the u.s. military may have made in the operations. at the same time, they recognized that karzai needs

no more conditions that can be imposed or should be imposed by president karzai. he has insisted, on the other hand, that these drone strikes have to stop so it puts us in a rather difficult position, having said no negotiations and he's now trying to keep it at least open until he signs out as president. i think nonetheless, the united states will hold tough here. there will be no negotiations, no further conditions agreed to. so i think the apology came forward. it's unusual but we have to remember that any time there's a military operation, whether it's by drone, aircraft, on the ground, innocent civilians are going to die. we try to avoid that. we plan very carefully every strike, it's as good intelligence as we can get, and we carry it out with as much discreetness as we can. nevertheless, innocents die during war. that's the unfortunate part about it. >> general, what is the likelihood the u.s. would stop carrying out drone attacks in afghanistan on these targets? >> there's no likelihood that the united states would take that very capable system that they h

we look at what may be behind hamid karzai's behavior. >> to understand hamid karzai, you need to look at vladimir putin. just returned from afghanistan and says karzai's unwillingness to sign a security deal with the u.s. has to do with his desire to stay relevant after the presidential election in april when according to the constitution he must step down. >> there are a lot of comparisons with putin and obviously each country is different, but i think what you see is someone who has probably in his own mind convinced himself that what's good for him is what's good for afghanistan. >> reporter: some think karzai is trying to position himself as putin did in russia so his successor is weak and easily controlled by karzai. not signing the security deal until after the election prevents him from becoming a lame duck. >> he's bought the logic that he was the only one that could hold it it together. in my years of going there, the one thing afghans agree on is he's the one guy that's been the corrupt cancer at the core of it it. >> national security adviser susan rice who left kabul empty

hamid karzai told them he received a letter from barack obama assuring him u.s. troops would raid afghan homes in exceptional circumstances. >> translation: our loya jirga has only got one purpose - that is to discuss and deeply investigate the security agreement with the u.s. you are here representing the afghan nation, my dear elders, scholars, clergy and everyone else. you are representing a nation that has suffered for the last 40 years. you are gathered here to look at a vital issue for the afghan nation and discuss and consult about that issue. i was under pressure not to organise a loya jirga. but when it comes to issues of national significance it is important to hold the loya jirga. >> let's look closer at the u.s.-afghan deal that could see up to 15,000 foreign troops stay in the country. the draft bilateral agreement, or bsa gives washington essentially what it wanted - immunity from prosecution for u.s. forces and gives them the right of self-defence; permission to carry out house raids after 2014, but only at the afghan military's invitation. jane fe

some believe karzai needs to leave a legacy. he doesn't want to be remembered as a person that was inti intimd by foreigners. but some say the country should come first. karzai should do a hi historic thing for his country. where afghanistan's borders are stronger. he should sign it. we are ready to sacrifice. he too should sacrifice himself. owe should thinhe should think e country university students beat an effigy of president barack obama and sent a clear message to their own president. >> we don't want the presence of any american forcers or their automaticallallies on our land. we recognize whoever signs this agreement is a national traitor. >> the coming days will surely bring more news of diplomatic argument and debate to these people. they must wait to hear what decisions are being made on their m behalf. decisions that could change the future of their country jane ferguson, al jazeera, kabul, afghanistan. >> still ahead on al jazeera america. in violence ravaged hon durr ho. >> and a storm drops rain and snow across th

the weekend agreed, instructed president karzai to sign it but not so fast says karzai. he has a few problems, he says, afganis in gaunt gaunuantgaubt should be released. nighttime raids, he wants more ex plicit language in the agreement. the problem is the united states says this is it. this is what was agreed to. take it or leave it. we need to have it done now. susan rice after that despiting meeting with karzi spoke with afghan television. >> if the agreement isn't signed promptly, what i said to the president is we would have no choice. we would be compelled by necessity, not by our preference to have to plan for the prospect we will not be able to keep our troops here because they will not be invited because the bsa will not have been. then the nature of our 3i7 and the investments we have made will be more difficult to sustain. >> essentially what we have now, tony, is a high-stakes game of chicken. it pivots on this key question: who wants american troops more to remain in afghanistan after 2014? the karzai government or the united states government? who stands t

needs american protection you have to remember karzai was our guy ok in kabul we put him there in i think early december of two thousand and one he's been there almost a dozen years yes he's been elected but he is backed up and supported by the americans. he really is looking and the people that are dependent on american aid contracts criminal activities whatever it is that were associated with over there the people in afghanistan particularly political attentions and leaders in afghanistan and kind of the middle class if they are dependent on the americans they are kind of in a precarious position in many of them and i'd say karzai what part of this are looking for ways to disentangle with this american dependency and who's going to be left we already know the most powerful unified group that has any potential to leave that country whether we like it or not is the taliban so if you want to be an afghan citizen you need to buddy the bread on both sides on this one absolutely karen a retired u.s. air force lieutenant colonel thank you so much for weighing in on this very complex very

in fact, karzai's government does not want this letter. this is about karzai himself. by the way, karzai is not particularly concerned about winning over public opinion. karzai has said he's not going to run in the next elections, which are just in april. so this is more about his legacy. he wants to be remembered by his people as the man who came into this country who helped bring it, if you will, into a modern era and then who stood up to the americans and said we're going to keep an american presence here for our long-term stability, but we're going to do it with the americans begging to stay and with them confined to their bases. so it is not that he has an aggressive populous and is facing an imminent election. >> ayman, i want to turn quickly, if we can, over to the bombing in beirut. i wonder whether you think retaliation is a certainty here. we know that the iranians have a huge stake in syria and the survival of the assad regime. what do you make of the road forward? >> well, retaliation is certainly inevitable but not necessarily by iran. it could certainly b

hamid karzai says he won't approve it until new demands are met. the deal will keep thousands of u.s. troops there past the end of next year, susan rice was face to face with hamid karzai in afghanistan urging him not to delay the deal. >> if the agreement is not signed promptly, what i said to the president is we would have no choice, we'd be compelled by necessity, not our preference, to begin to plan for the prospect that we will not be able to keep our troops here. they will not be invited because the bsa will not have been signed. the nature of our investment would be more difficult to sustain. >> the proposal keeps troops in afghanistan through 2024. the white house says all troops will be pulled out if the deal is not signed, until the end of the year. >> if it doesn't go through charities by international

. >> the president karzai blames the u.s. for the collapse of the peace talks last year in qatar and demanding the release of 17 afghan prisoners at guantanamo bay. >>> and stocks edged higher today after the government reported a strong uptick in home building last month and with thanksgiving this week, trade is expected to be light but the dow is looking pretty good up 42 points. another day of trading tomorrow. >>> macy's thanksgiving day parade may be without its big balloons come thursday morning. the forecasters say that the pre-winter storm threatening to bring a lot of wind and snow and icy conditions to new york and other parts of the east coast, such conditions could be too dangerous for the balloons on the trade route. uncle sam, kermit and company, and emergency officials will make the call based on actual conditions come thanksgiving day morning but you can't have the parade without the balloons for crying out loud. >> kung fu panda with 30 to 40 mile-an-hour gusts? he would end up in new jersey. >> and around th

should we be negotiating this agreement with karzai along with his successor? is it essential to get it done before he leaves? >> it is. >> why? >> you don't want it to be an issue in their campaign. all of the candidates basically want an ongoing relationship, not just with us but with the coalition. whatever that number is, 8000- 12,000 number range that you sometimes read about which has not been decided upon by the president. >> let me ask you about that. before general mattis left he was talking about 13,000 american troops which would translate to about 20,000 coalition. but do you think is needed? >> i think we have a -- it is to them to recommend. my mission, or what i believe our mission is has always been to train the afghan forces and basically leave. one other comment about what happens if there is no agreement , that would be bad for the future of afghanistan, i think. there's a difference between here and iraq. they disbanded the iraqi army, a full listing that was done by the bush administration. >> he did not do that on his own? >> he did not. i

>> americans are very right to be frustrated with karzai. but frustration is not national security policy. frustration is not foreign policy. >> reporter: some in the administration believe without a u.s. presence, al qaeda will return, iran's influence may grow, and afghanistan will become a radical haven. >> if things fall apart in afghanistan, then much of what we have gained can unravel, we may find ourselves having to go back in again. >> reporter: for now, however, u.s. troops are thinking about coming home. >> hi, sergeant tyler baxter, my father. >> chief master richard baxter. >> from bagram, afghanistan. wanted to wish our family in missouri happy holidays. >> barbara starr joins us live now. so, i mean, what's going to happen now? down to the wire with the u.s. starting to pull all of its troops out of the afghanistan if the security agreement isn't signed soon. u.s. wants it signed soon somewhere karzai wants to wait until elections next year. >> reporter: yeah, you know, how do you resolve this? the u.s., look, could wait a whil

president hamid karzai is refusing to s

which is the point to karzai. >> i think karzai doubtless presumes that once again he is being consolidated but the words are empty and the reward will come as it has in the past. >> sarah chase from the carnegie endowment. thanks for being here. >> thanks for having me. >>> we turn to another international partner that hasn't proved to be this open to international sanctions and that's iran. hassan rouhani is underscoring his ambition to the u.s. with a new tone and an unexpected bit of online marketing. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> the video features iranian artists recitin reciting parts n rouhani's inaugural speech. it bears some relationship to this. >> blazing trail yes we can yes we can ♪ >> yes they did. the star studded video went viral during the 2008 u.s. presidential campaign. both these men came into office promising change. how has hassan rouhani lived up to those promises? in his first 100 days of office? hamiir roujani, how do you see it? >> i think it's for domestic consumption for his base. similar to president obama's base in 2008. >> it's awfully much like it isn't it? >> yes. eight

we'll see what hamid karzai says. they haven'ted specified the exact number of forces that would say hereinafter gan, talk between 10 and 15,000 however. >> mike thank you very much. >>> we turn now to egypt where protests turned violent. at least two people have been killed, 1500 injured in the clashes taking place across the country. hoda abdel hamid has the full story. >> reporter: there were several protests across the country on this friday, as it usually happens on friday since the ousting of morsi. here in cairo there were two standoffs that lasted a few hours. the first happened as protesters were tried to head to the epicenter of the sit-in in the city for those who do support president morsi held for several weeks throughout the summer until security forces disbursed them. protesters were trying to reach that area, security forces fired tear gas to push them back, and then sealed off that intersection. the second standoff happened around the dormitory of a university. students there have been holding daily p

some believe karzai is worried about his legacy. he doesn't want to be remembered as a president who was intimidated by foreigners. they, however, point out the country should come first. >> we should do an historic thing he should sign it, we are ready to sacrifice it they beat an effigy of u.s. president bara barack obama administration and sent a clear message. >> we do not want the presidents of any american forces or their alneys our holly land. we want the invaders to withdraw from our country without any conditions. we recognize whoever signs this agreement as a national traitor. >> coming days will show more news. they must wait to hear what decisions are being made on their behalf, decisions that could change the future of their country. jane ferguson, al jazeera, kabul, afghanistan. >> chilly forecasts and elections in hon dueras. a live report is coming up on that next. consider this: the news of the day plus so much more. >> we begin with the government shutdown. >> answers to the questions no one else will ask. >> it se

on monday, heated discussions between karzai and obama's national security advisor went nowhere. those running social projects here say donor fatigue is already beginning to set in. also used to run this shelter for street children. it shut its doors in march as money ended. the small shelter used to house children, while the organization searched for their families and a proper school. supposed to -- next year to the schools so those -- because of the notices from them, so most of them come to us. >> for several years this facility gave street kids somewhere safe to sleep until they could have more long term arrangements. now it is completely empty, the charity that runs it says it is ran out of funding for this project. just struggling to survive. >> . >> they believe that the americans want to stay here come held or high water, so they think they are in a very strong bargaining position. and that may be completely out of kilt with reality. but that does seem to be the view. >> even so, the children continue to enjoy themselves, unaware of the political crisis, and how it can e

kerry has been the karzai handler, the karzai whisperer, if you will, even when he was a senator. now we have the national security adviser going over there and leaving empty handed. what do you make of that? >> it's a stunning sort of gamble on the part of karzai. in something i wrote, i said kerry deserved a diplomatic medal of honor for the amount of time he's spent talking with hamid karzai. i think it's vital that the u.s. take a very hard line here. most afghans, particularly in kabul and in the north, absolutely want this agreement. they want american troops to stay. and this is a rare possibility for the u.s. to make this clear, we are going to leave, and maybe hurt karzai standing inside of afghanistan. so they should not budge and, you know, if it actually comes to it, plan to leave u.s. troops to get them all out of afghanistan. >> and kristen, you're there on the north lawn of the white house. what are you seeing behind you, if you can figure that out as to when we might see the turkey? >> reporter: well, i think we're going to see the president in a few minutes. he's

hamid karzai is trying to get the last little bit out of this. he may not realise this is another american red line. if we leave afghanistan in toto. which we plan to do, we need to start that soon. you do things differently if you go down to 10,000 or down to zero. >> why would karzai do this as kerry and president obama are out there celebrating a deal. why embarrassing them? >> part of this is the awkward position that hamid karzai is in. he's in a bad spot. americans think he's impossible to work with, many of his own people think he's a puppet of america. he really is in a hard spot where it's hard to please both sides. >> the u.s. paid to train and equip afghan security forces. american bases will stay and leave the numbers, depending on what the americans or the afghans want, between 7-15,000 troops, given what happened in iraq, after the u.s. troops pulled out the violence increased, why would afghanistan baulk. >> that's a good question. why are the av bans baulking. ultimately they need us there so the money flow, the international comm

hamid karzai said that as meeting of more than 2,000 tribal leaders when discussing a new security pact between the country. without it, u.s. troops will leave and afghan troops will have to fight the taliban alone. one of the most contentious issues has been giving u.s. troops immunity from prosecution under afghan law, as well as the right to self defense. well under the deal, the u.s. will be allowed to carry out house raised, but only if afghan forces ask them to do so. finally, troop numbers. if the draft is signed, up to 15,000 american soldiers could day behind after 2014. >> there is only one purpose, to discuss and deeply investigate the security agreement with the u.s. >> you are here representing the afghan nation, my dear elders, school lures, slower gee and everyone else, you are representing the nation that has suffered for 40 years. you are gathered to look at a vital issue for the afghan nation and discuss that and cult about that issue. i was under pressure not to organize the loyal jurga but it is important to these these jurgas. >> for more on that, let's go to jane f

. >> let me be clear, president karzai didn't ask for an apology. there was no discussion of an apology. there will be -- there is no -- just not even on the table. he didn't ask for it. we're not discussing it. it's very important for president karzai to know that issues that he's raised with us for many years have been properly addressed. it's very important for us to know that issues we have raised with him for a number of years are properly addressed. the agreement will speak for itself. when the agreement is approved. >> the framework agreed upon by secretary kerry and president karzai must now be approved by the afghan ground council of elders. that council consists of about 3,000 leaders all vetted by the karzai government. >>> there is new evidence of red flags leading up to the launch of obama care exchanges that there would be trouble. september 25th e-mail acquired by fox news shows the website's project manager expressing concern that healthcare.gov would not be ready on october the 1st. he suggests finding better ways to explain the pro

week, michigan senator carl levin traveled to and met with president karzai. today, the senate armed services committee chairman about improvements in the country as the u.s. and prepare to remove troops from afghanistan in 2014. from the council on foreign relations. is an hour. >> welcome to the foreign relations. i'm johnathan karl. a high honor to be here with levin. introduction.s no interduck carl levin is the chairman of the senate armed services from the great state of michigan and of special interest to me, just back from a trip to afghanistan where he commanders over there and also had a one on one president karzai. i'm eager to hear about that and senator levin has some tomarks about the trip afghanistan and then we will have a conversation. levin?r >> well, thank you, jon. we appreciate the invitation to join you this morning and look forward to that conversation as well. just here to share my ideas but hopefully to receive ideas that we all need in this kind of a world that we live in. mentioned, i recently returned from afghanistan where couple d

we could speak for hours about karzai. but just about the document, which is quite significant because it has to do with potentially billions of dollars and tens of thousands of american troops and the lives of many people and their families from the united states going forward for many years. the document that we received was a working draft. we posted it online. it showed the basic framework of the agreement and the additions that the american negotiators want and the additions that the afghan negotiators wanted. there was even some lines that were struck out because one of the sides refused to accept them. this document was presented by the afghans, so presumably this is their latest version. no doubt u.s. officials will want to go through this to see if any words or any phrases have been slipped back in. while we were talking -- while we were doing that very moving memorial, i was going through the document. it basically seems roughly the same, but it's not -- i'm not sure if it is exactly a match. going back to the po

they say enough is enough. >> why is karzai doing this? >> reporter: i think if you look at his end goal he seems to be focusing on the elections next year. the last time he seems to have a bargaining position with the u.s. once this deal is done u.s. troops can be there ten years and aid not set in stone but laid out more clearly. the last time presidential elections the u.s. were very critical of the procedures around that and i'm pretty sure he'll look ahead to make sure the next president of afghanistan is somebody he approves of and doesn't want the united states to raise concern how the procedure went through. the america's longest war now and looking at a position the next month or so, the u.s. could simply stop, not just our troops but aid contributions to effectively lose its way what happens next in afghanistan. >> nick paton-walsh, thank you. >>> president obama is defending the international flavnuclear d with iran this morning. the president calling on the critics who said the agreement was a mistake. the president said bluste