Afghanistan's president has told a gathering of elders that he supports signing a security deal with the United States if safety and security conditions are met, according to AP. Hamid Karzai spoke as the 2,500-member national consultative council of Afghan elders known as the Loya Jirga started in Kabul on Thursday. The four-day meeting will discuss the bilateral security pact that defines the role of thousands of U.S. troops who will remain after the NATO combat mission ends in 2014.
