Afghan President Hamid Karzai speaks during the opening of the Loya Jirga, or grand council, in Kabul November 21, 2013. REUTERS/Omar Sobhani
KABUL (Reuters) - President Hamid Karzai triggered uncertainty about a vital security pact with the United States on Thursday by saying it should not be signed until after Afghanistan's presidential election next April, prompting the White House to insist on a year-end deadline.
Karzai's surprise move, which came just a day after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said the pact's language had been agreed upon, suddenly threw its future into question and seemed certain to reignite tensions with Washington.
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