Everything You Wanted To Know About An Afghan Loya Jirga
The U.S. military has been fighting in Afghanistan for 12 years, and its future role could be determined, or at least heavily influenced, in the next few days by an Afghan Loya Jirga.
Which begs the question: What's a Loya Jirga?
They are "grand assemblies," an Afghan tradition dating back at least three centuries, and which brings together elders and community leaders from across the land to discuss matters of major national importance.
President Hamid Karzai called some 2,500 delegates to the capital, Kabul, to weigh in on a security agreement with the United States that would define what U.S. forces could and couldn't do after U.S. troops end their combat mission at the end of 2014.
Under a tentative deal, a reduced number of U.S. troops would remain in Afghanistan mostly to train and assist the Afghan military in its ongoing battle against the Taliban. No numbers have been set, but there's been talk of up to 15,000 U.S. troops staying on. The U.S. has about 50,000 troops in the country.
In a letter to Karzai, President Obama also noted that U.S. forces would engage in counterterrorism operations. This has raised the sensitive question of whether U.S. forces would do things like storm into Afghan homes on occasion. And what happens to U.S. troops accused of a crime — do they face justice in Afghanistan or the U.S.?
On these matters, the Loya Jirga's verdict could be critically important.
There is no doubt the Afghan military could use the U.S. support. But after the extended U.S. presence in Afghanistan, some Afghans are weary of the American forces and want to keep their role limited and low-profile.
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