Afghanistan's president said on Thursday that his government is "taking a magnifying glass" to proposals for the country's strategic partnership deal with the United States and scrutinizing every detail, according to AP. President Hamid Karzai also reiterated a pledge that the deal being negotiated will respect Afghan sovereignty. He made the remarks in a speech to graduates of the country's military academy. The pact is expected to provide rules for U.S. troops who stay on after the majority of combat forces leave in 2014. Talks on the agreement have stalled multiple times, but Afghan and U.S. officials both say they want it signed by a NATO summit in May.
