By MATTHEW LEE
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry leaves from Subang TUDM outside of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Friday, Oct. 11, 2013, after completing his trip to Malaysia after U.S. President Barack Obama cancelled his trip to the region due to the U.S. government shutdown. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool)
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is in Afghanistan for urgent talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
They will discuss a looming end of October deadline for completing a security deal to allow American troops to remain in Afghanistan after the end of the NATO-led military mission next year.
Kerry’s unannounced visit to Kabul on Friday comes as talks on the Bilateral Security Agreement have foundered over issues of Afghan sovereignty despite a year of negotiations.
The U.S. wants a deal by the end of the month, but the discussions have stalled over Karzai’s demand for American guarantees against future foreign intervention, a veiled reference to neighboring Pakistan. The U.S. wants any remaining troops to be able to conduct counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations.
