“Afghans died in a war that’s not ours,” Karzai said in an interview with the Washington Post published on Sunday.

He said that the 12-year-old war was “for the US security and for the Western interest.”

The Afghan president also urged the US to end air raids in Afghanistan, saying that, instead of Taliban militants, civilians are being killed in these airstrikes.

Karzai also said he will not sign the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) with Washington and that it is up to his successor to make the decision. Afghanistan will hold a presidential election in April.

“My stand remains the same - that I cannot sign this BSA agreement with the United States without the launch of the peace process… [US] President [Barack] Obama said, ‘Well, the US can wait for the next president,’” the Afghan president said.

He stressed that Washington must start peace talks with the Taliban and end raids on Afghan homes before asking Afghans to sign the deal.
On Tuesday, Obama warned Karzai against not signing the BSA.

Obama ordered the Pentagon to begin planning for a full US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan if the deal is not signed.

The US and Afghanistan are still at odds on some of the terms of the agreement, including immunity for American troops and their attacks on Afghan villages and homes.

The United States and its allies invaded Afghanistan in 2001 as part of the so-called war on terror. The offensive removed the Taliban from power, but insecurity remains across the country.

The US-led war in Afghanistan, which has caused record-high civilian and military casualties, has become the longest military conflict in the American history. The United States has more than 43,000 troops in the Asian country.

SHI/SHI