Afghanistan deal faces many hurdles - Zalmay Khalilzad

My discussions with officials in Washington and Afghanistan have left me thinking that an agreement is unlikely to be signed by October. Mistrust at the leadership level, different threat perceptions and Obama’s arbitrary but politically potent deadline for ending the war all pose significant obstacles. .... More

Failure to conclude a security agreement would be a major strategic setback. The loss of Afghan facilities would inhibit Predator attacks against al-Qaeda in the region. It would signal a broader U.S. abandonment of Afghanistan that would intensify internal conflict and invite increased meddling by Pakistan, India, Iran, China and Russia, among others, to fill the vacuum. .... Read More - Afghanistan deal faces many hurdles - The Washington Post