http://en.rian.ru/world/20111024/168068676.html

Afghan lawmakers reject military agreement with ISAF

ISAF

© RIA Novosti. Andrey Greshnov

21:02 24/10/2011

KABUL, October 24 (RIA Novosti)

Tags: ISAF, UN Security Council, Hamid Karzai, Afghanistan

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Afghanistan's lower house of parliament rejected on Monday an agreement on technical and military cooperation between the Afghan government and the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), the Pajhwok news agency reported.

The military-technical agreement between the interim government in Afghanistan and ISAF was signed in December 2001 but submitted to the lower house of Afghan parliament only in September 2011.

The majority of lawmakers stated on Monday that the agreement with ISAF violated the country's sovereignty.

The decision could seriously undermine the efforts of the current Afghan government led by President Hamid Karzai to strike a strategic cooperation pact with the United States later this year.

ISAF has been deployed since 2001 under the authority of the UN Security Council which authorized the establishment of the force to assist the Afghan government in the maintenance of security in the war-torn country.

Under the agreement, the ISAF has complete and unimpeded freedom of movement or action throughout the territory and airspace of Afghanistan.