‘Time Is of the Essence,’ NATO Head Says, Urging Afghanistan Deal --- KABUL, Afghanistan — International officials signaled new urgency on Wednesday for the United States and Afghanistan to reach agreement on a long-term security deal, but officials suggested that there had been little movement on either side of the deadlock. -- Coming out of a meeting with NATO foreign ministers in Brussels that included the Afghanistan’s foreign minister and interior minister, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the alliance’s secretary general, said there had been no progress on signing the bilateral security deal. -- “The ministers didn’t indicate anything as regards time lines as far as the bilateral security agreement is concerned,” he said, referring to Interior Minister Umar Daudzai and Foreign Minister Muqbal Osmani. -- Adding that “time is of the essence,” Mr. Rasmussen underscored that without a finalized deal with the United States, NATO would not be able to conclude its own post-2014 security agreement with Afghanistan on behalf of its member states. - More, ALISSA J. RUBIN - nytimes