>> there's more time to negotiate with karzai. karzai is highly erratic. karzai is -- >> he could call him up right now and sign this thing and -- >> no, karzai is the kind of guy who could wake up one day and all of a sudden -- the last thing to count on with karzai is consistency. right now, he's being consistently negative about the bsa. it doesn't mean he won't sign it down the road. they're there for intelligence. the training function, objection, great, they're really there to protect kabul. the afghanistan is going to be run by warlords largely around the country, to a certain degree by afghan forces. the whole notion we came in to sort of create a constitutional and a government centralized -- >> this is the country of kabul. >> right. >> i mean, this is the country of kabul. >> yeah. this is not really a country of afghanistan. warlords and -- kabul will be the one place that there's sort of a maybe 19th century -- >> yeah, and i think you have it right. vice president biden said the troops will be there to keep the incumbent government from being

continues to pressure hamid karzai to sign the u.s. half began bilateral security agreement called the bsa. the pack would solidify conditions for involvement in the country after troops leave including police training and counter terrorism work. the pack got the approval of the loya jirga last year, but president karzai has still not signed it. >> afghanistan will never sign the security agreement under pressure. no pressure, no threat, no psychological operation against our people can force us to sign the security agreement. if the foreigners want to leave, they should leave today. >> afghanistan's foreign minister said over the weekend he hopes the agreement gets passed soon. >> we support the document. we're hopeful that this document gets signed as soon as possible and the people of afghanistan also support this security agreement. >> in last month's state of the union president obama reiterated the importance of the deal. >> if the afghan government signs a security agreement we have negotiated, a small force of americans could r

and so i really don't -- >> president karzai's brother amad karzai, has been connected to the opium trade, does that indicate that the opium sails reaches the highest strata of governmental? >> that is the root of the problem. history would indicate that until you have an indigenous political movement that seeks to drive out organized crime and corruption, what the outside world tries to impose is really not going to stick. so i think that's worrisome. i'm not particularly optimistic about the future in afghanistan with regards to this problem and i think we're going to only be able to measure success in decades. these are problems that -- there is a tendency to look at the size of the opium crop from year to year. the number of provinces that are cultivating opium, the number of traffickers who have been arrested. unfortunately this is an economy where success is measured in decades not years. >> and then the homeland security issue. now the government embraces it wholeheartedly. they get hundreds of millions of dollars per year, in 2008, the late richard holbrook said breaking the narco

there's no point for hamid karzai to not sign the bsa. i guess all the conditions have been met from within president hamid karzai's side. the delay from one perspective is a political game on president hamid karzai's side. the government of afghanistan should take the last telephone conversation of president obama serious, in terms of the zero option. they should look at the demand of afghan people and the demand is for the bsa to be signed and for afghanistan to have a longer term bilateral security agreement and strategy agreement with the united states. we should remember that the bsa was, in a way, conceptualized with the strategy partnership with the united states, approved and ratified with the parliament, and with the government in 2012. there's no point in delaying from the president's site. >> how concerned are you in the president removing all troops at the end of the year? >> it should end responsibility and properly. zero option. at this stage it is not an option and for some politicians in the united states. we know the cons

i'd arrest karzai. i would arrest him. >> you know what, by showing american power in the first place, we have revealed our weakness. the most powerful country nld world can't subdue -- >> it didn't work out in iraq, it's not working out in afghanistan. maybe we get a surge, arrest karzai, we put in a puppet who will at least do the right thing here. i think we have to do it. gentlemen, thanks very much. >>> next how liberal is hillary clinton anyway? >>> and later police arrested [ male announcer ] it's simple phics... a body at rest tends to stay at rest... while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. staying active can actually ease arthritis symptoms. but if you have arthritis, staying active can be difficult. prescription celebrex can help relieve arthritis pain so your body can stay in motion. because just one 200mcelebrex a day can provide 24 hour relief for ny with arthritis pain d inflammation. plus, in clinical studies, celebrex is proven to improve daily physical function celeex can be tak

i'd arrest karzai. i would arrest him. >> you know what, by showing american power in the first place, we have revealed our weakness. the most powerful country nld world can't subdue -- >> it didn't work out in iraq, it's not working out in afghanistan. maybe we get a surge, arrest karzai, we put in a puppet who will at least do the right thing here. i think we have to do it. gentlemen, thanks very much. >>> next how liberal is hillary clinton anyway? >>> and later police arrested a firefighter while giving attention to a badly hurt american. wild story. [ male announcer ] introducing new fast acting advil. with an ultra-thin coating and fast absorbing advil ion core™ technology, it stops pain before it gets worse. nothing works faster. new fast acting advil. look for it in the white box. to launch a startup from your garage. from compurs, smartphones and 3d printers, to coffee, snacks, and drinks to fuel the big ideas. ye staples has everything you need to launch a startup from your garage... mom! [ ma

the pact got the approval of the tribal council last year, but president karzai has still not signed >> translator: afghanistan will never sign the security agreement under pressure. no pressure, no threat, no psychological pressure against our people can force us to sign it. if the foreigners want to leave, they should leave today. >> translator: we support the document. we are hopeful that this document gets signed as soon as possible, and the people of afghanistan also support the agreement. >> reporter: president obama reiterated the importance of the bsa deal. >> if they sign a security agreement that we have negotiated a small force could remain in afghanistan with nato allies. >> reporter: while the administration negotiates, congress wants to make sure it can weigh in. >> we are introducing a bipartisan resolution to say before any american soldier, sailor, marine or airman is committed, congress should vote. automatic renewal is fine for netflix and gym memberships, but it isn't the right approach when it comes to war. >> the decision to sacrifice american blood and treasure

it definitely is but i think on that karzai beats the west mall than the west does it need time to karzai his also vital that the same time. i would recommend that the us and the west in general make clear that the work they remain committed to is that the security of the country karzai is not convinced that's why he negotiates with the atomic bomb and i'm not convinced either. camera so were gonna be following the story of her wild designs thanks very much in the central african republic ahead of the united nations refugee agency says that he has witnessed a humanitarian catastrophe of unspeakable proportions tell you the terrorists disguised killing of muslims by christian militia as the cyclones. he says the country's new government is incapable of protecting its citizens effectively shane warne must be done to improve security the refugees in their own country. a huge tent city has sprung up with the horse and donkey. the capital of central african republic the muslims feel a measure of safety with french and african peacekeepers close by visiting the un high commissioner for refugees

they are calling karzai's bluff. it might be risky.here will be another president eventually, and they have high hopes that that president will sign the agreement that karzai won't. i think that the dangerous thing is they don't want to have a zero troops there. they want to have enough troops to train the afghan military and to protect kabul and have a base there. that's important for the u.s. trusteejicily. i don't think the president is willing to risk all of that. >> president obama has not talked about afghanistan. he just hasn't talked about it much at all. >> no, he doesn't talk about it much. i mean, he came into office saying this was the war, this was a central front in the war on terrorism, and the speech he gave at west point, we have to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al qaeda in afghanistan and pakistan before we leave. he gave an end date, but he said that was the object chb to keep us save so there weren't safe havens. that is manifestly not the case today. so i agree with george. this talk is premature. i don't have any

karzai will be gone. and number two, the afghan people are supportive of the united states and nato presence and they're scared to death of us leaving too early. >> i think it's apparent by the fact they released them when we asked them pnot to that karzai picked the taliban, not the united states. we're pulling out at the end ever tof the year. and the taliban is moving in. we promised the women that we wouldn't abandon them.of the ye. and the taliban is moving in. we promised the women that we wouldn't abandon them.the year. and the taliban is moving in. we promised the women that we wouldn't abandon them. we're pulling out and it's clear the taliban is going back in. karzai sees which way the wind is blowing and we've lost any authority there. >> unfortunately, i feel you're right. all you have to do is look at the administration's decision in iraq. marines fought for iffallujah a the black flag flies. it's something i mourn for and i'm afraid that is the track we're going in afghanistan. karzai won't

and president karzai insisted the u.s.riticizing the decision. >> afghanistan is a sovereign country. if the afghan judicial authorities decide to release a prisoner, it is of no concern to the u.s. and should be of no concern to the u.s. >> but the u.s. embassy and the u.s. military both blasted the release as did coalition headquarters in kabul saying the release of these dangerous individual poses a threat to u.s. coalition and afghan national security forces as well as the afghan population. new jerseys in the group released today have killed coalition and afghan forces. so why would president karzai go ahead with this prisoner release? the latest in a series of not so diplomatic slaps delivered to his chief ally and main source of funds. for more i am joined by party gartbalancegalbraith. where he hemmed uncover massive voter fraud in 2009, currently serve is aserving as a state sen vermont. the u.s. says there is credible evidence tying these guys to bombings and attacks. why would they release these prisoners despit

i think obama should punish karzai by getting him to enroll in obamacare. they could be misunderstood goat herder, the great news is eric holder is going to make sure they can vote, and they're going to get driver's licenses in new york and california. >> but they won't need those to vote. >> afghanistan is a horrible, horrible place. it's the crazy ex-girlfriend that russia warned us about. ussr in its late 70s were going, why did i get into this relationship? this is awful. then they get out and they say, don't go there. she's nuts. she's going to burn all your ties. it's going to be attract frb at first, but it's going to be a mess. what do we do? we go ahead and hook up with the craziest ex-girlfriend of them all. >> not to mention the brits in the 18th century. >> then he throws it back in our face. >> she may have been the least crazy one. i think our troops have done a tremendous job with the resources and the afghans they have had to deal with, and i think they should be proud of what they attempted to achieve there, and i hope all those gains haven

president obama said afghan president karzai refuses to sign a deal but karzai's susser might sign one after presidential elections have been held. >>> there is no sign of viktor yanukovych, the ousted ukrainian president remains on the run. >>> there is a new twist in a medical mystery in california. dozens of children have come down to a polio-like illness that can paralyze arms and legs but there is no connection. >>> two women who want to marry and adopt each other's children are battling a state in court. they hope a federal judge in detroit will lift the same-sex marriage ban. >> both sides came out very strong. this seems to be more of the case about parenting skills than gay rights. the lawyers representing the state of michigan argue that children are better off being raised by parents who are heterosexual, and they believe a 2004 law banning gay marriage that was passed back in 2004 basically supports their notion. this is a case about a lesbian couple they filed this lawsuit a couple of years ago after they learned that they weren't allowed to jointly adopt their three child

that disclosure comes as relations between karzai and the u.s. have been strained since he refused to sign a security agreement. we'll delve into what karzai is doing, and why, later in the program. microsoft has reached within its ranks for a new c.e.o. satya nadella has been in charge of the software giant's cloud computing business. with today's announcement, he replaces steve ballmer who announced last august that he'd be leaving the company. in addition, microsoft founder bill gates is stepping down as chairman, but he'll serve as a technology adviser. still to come on the "newshour": a forecast that the affordable care act will cost jobs; what's behind the recent market jitters; the new push to get teens not to smoke; using playtime as a tool for learning; afghan president karzai's secret talks with the taliban; plus, ahead of the olympics, confronting russia's stance on gay rights. >> ifill: the congressional budget office's assessment of the economic fallout from the affordable care act re-ignited partisan debate today. the new report foc

that's about it. >> that is hamid karzai's trump card. if the u.s. continues drone air strikes, u.s. troops have to be in afghanistan. if the president was to decide on the zero option, he would get push back from the military, members of congress who fear what would happen to afghanistan. the american public will probably be more forgiving. 66% of those asked in a poll believe the war in afghanistan was not worth fighting. they would be happy to see the aid kept in the u.s. that's the trump card. it's not a question of if the afghan forces can take on the taliban and win, but can the government pay them to stay in the fight. >> at least 60 teenage boys have been killed at a boarding school in nigeria. fighters from boko haram are believed to be responsibility. males and female ails were separated. the girls told to go home, the boys shot and stabbed to death. the school was burnt to the ground, most of the boys inside. schools have been attacked by boko haram in recent years. nigeria has designated the group a terrorist organization. >> the obama ad

have to be more anti-american than karzai just to establish their base. to gain the sort of support that they need from the south. so my concern is that there are going to be no guarantees and the sooner we get a b.s. a signed the sooner we can move onto the 122014 safe began stan. >> how essential is the afghanistan to the u.s. national security? >> i think there are a lot of issues. -- a lot of areas critical. this is where al qaeda had established a decades long relationship and we don't want to seat sort of sanctuary they had before develop once again. so a strong afghan is essential and security is one peace of that. that's what we are doing well, but as patty's story pointed out there are other concerns in the future. >> is this just a chess match and it will play out before hamid karzai leaves? >> there has been a game of chick phone a while. my number one concern is those two cars are getting closer. the president has made clear the u.s. will go to the zero option, i hope karzai realizes in order for his country. in order to not lose the 12 years

. >> afghan president hamid karzai holding secret talks with the taliban. why the move is straining afghanistan's relationship with the u.s. >> violence against people is normal, and tolerated and accepted by the government. >> new fears about attacks on gays at the olympics in russia. the shocking videos posted online by a human rights group. >> sentencing day in a bizarre drunk driving crime. a california woman driving 2 miles with a dying man on her car. >> an ice storm moving to the south-east. an ice storm that could cripple an entire region in the country. >> welcome to al jazeera america. i'm thomas drayton. we'll get to the stories in a moment. first, afghan president harz has been holding -- hamid karzai has been holding secret talks with the taliban in dubai. it is likely to strain tense relations with the u.s. i'll bring in jane ferguson, in kabul. what are we hearing from president hamid karzai's office. >> the palace here in kabul are not commenting on the reports of secret peace talks. it's worth mentioning the at all times have been going on,

if karzai looks at that you could hardly blame him.alked about that with mccain after he came out i've closed-door senate briefing on afghanistan and this is what he had to say. >> president could i soar is paranoid and irrational. like most people there is a basis for that. when he reads that the united states is planning on having everybody out by 2017. then he makes accommodations. is up as trying to negotiate with the taliban. that is completely understandable. >> reporter: there is no agreement as of yet. today the commander of all international forces in afghanistan, the american general joseph dunford was here at the west wing meeting with top brass, defense secretary, secretary of defense, president, vice president, all the way down to try to find a way out of this to look in to the future and see what the options are. meanwhile, at the briefing i had a chance to ask jay carney about the accusations that john mccain made. here is what he had to say. >> i don't doubt that some senators envision a world in which u.s. troops remai

and karzai just doesn't care. bill: can we change that relationship?kly, we shouldn't care about that relationship anymore. i mean, that's -- i think we've, you know, we made a mistake, i believe, after the spring of 2002. we had a terrific, very tactically-successful operation in there at the end of 2001 and going into the spring of 2002. we routed the taliban, we took care of the problem that was in our national interests, you know? and then i think since then we haven't had a conversation necessarily in the public about why is it in our national interests to nation build in an environment like afghanistan where it's just not going to happen? i mean, we can talk about improving the abilities of their police force, of their military at some point, but once we're gone -- and it certainly appears that we're gone, karzai refuses to sign the bilateral security agreement at this point, that shows you where his head is -- but the reality is, the taliban have been sitting on the sidelines, and they know this moment's going the come. bulk bill they've got wat

the president's phone call may not change karzai's mind. he has refused to sign any agreement which allows u.s. troops to continue their raids on afghan homes, but it will surely affect thinking elsewhere in afghanistan, where the army still depends on american support to carry out operations against the taliban. a senior pakistani official predicted if all u.s. troops were to pull out, 30% of the afghan army would dessert. and it will affect thinking among nato allies, which also have troops in afghanistan. perhaps the most telling sign president obama has given up on karzai is that today's phone call was the first time the two men had talked since june of last year. >> pelley: david martin at the pentagon for us tonight, david, thank you. there is surprising news today on childhood obesity. a new procedure could result in babies with three biological parents. and request the the national enquirer" apologizes for a false story about phyllip seymour hoffman when the cbs evening news continues. unique. in fact, they depend on a unique set of

>> i think karzai is all agitated. every couple of months we see him come with an over the top statement. the new dynamic and this is why i think his moves are foolish, is that the american people, the american congress and clearly, the administration have lost patience. >> yes. >> this isn't a matter of putting up with these ridiculous statements that the u.s. is somehow behind the insurgent attacks. that quilling sod many people that we knew well, this just isn't going to staged any more, and they have to learn that he must give a little bit, that it is in the long term interest of the people to not only come to a political settlement, but to allow the u.s. and nato force to stay in afghanistan, post 2014, to advice and assist the security forces. >> mark, appreciate it, thank you. >> the senator today passed the massive farm bill legislation, the bill cuts the food stamp program and extends a farm subsidies while ex-nd paing the program. president obama is expected to sign it. leaks by former national security agenc

hamid karzai has called it a tall ban-making factory. nonetheless, 65 prisoners were set free on thursday morning. >> translator: they have been taken out of the prison, they were holding their clothes in their hands. they received cash and instructions and then they all went home. >> reporter: the u.s. says the men are all dangerous taliban fighters. >> these individuals are dangerous. they pose threats to safety and security of the afghan people and the afghan state, which is what i would say, there is information linking each of them to terror-related crimes, including the use of explosive devices, which are the largest killer of afghan civilians. >> reporter: but none of them were tried in court. a review board set up by president karzai looked at their cases and said there was no enough evidence to hold them to. this is the latest spat between the u.s. and president karzai who refuses to sign a security pact allowing the u.s. military to stay in the country after 2014. relations continue to stumble from one argument to another. jane

hamid karzai wants the taliban on his side. the release of these prisoners are effectively trying to woo the taliban or the members of the taliban showing that karzai is ready and wants to work with them. >> live from us there, bernard smith. thanks for that. >> the head of egypt's military abdul fatah al-sisi is in moscow to strengthen ties with moscow and reduce cairo's reliance on the united states for aid. the trip is een as an undeclared campaign by abdul fatah al-sisi for the egyptian residency. washington suspended aid. most of the aid goes to the military. >> the egyptian counterparts sat for talks. the first foreign visit for abdul fatah al-sisi, this is a field marshal. take us though how significant the trip is. >> i think it's significant on a number of levels. first of all, as you say, the first foreign visit. he has chosen to come to moscow. moscow has been courting egypt. sergei lavrov and the defense secretary went to cairo last november and were talking about the possibility of closer ties then. today we are ha

forces in the country, karzai without an agreement. and the losers in all of this will be the afghan people. >> the initial agreement, karzai needs to sign by last year because they need time to plan for the post-2014 landscape. and the white house is not giving a deadline, only saying that karzai needs to sign in weeks, not in the months that karzai has asked for. >> russia today, new details of a series of anti-gay attacks, openly carried out in the country. the footage, compiled by human rights watch, was taken by an online gay vigilante group. the members call themselves anti-pedophilia. they lure gay men to promise dates, and then beat them. >>> the violence has increased since russia passed a new law banning what it calls homosexual propaganda. nicki joins us tonight. and thank you for being on the program. how long has this sort of thing been going on? >> well, the video, and we recommend that you watch it, it's hard to watch, but it's also important to watch, because it's a symptom of something that has been happening in russia

it's karzai's call. karzai's hinting he wants to make the call until after his re-election run in april. but there could be runoff election, could be delays, president obama's message tonight, his demand of karzai is to decide now. i'm steve handelsman, news4. >>> a senate panel is exploring the relationship between sexual assaults in the military, post traumatic stress disorder and suicide. the latest statistics from the pentagon show there is an epidemic of sexual assaults in the military. but victims are often too afraid to tell their supervisors. at a hearing today, service members testified about personal experiences after their own sexual assaults. >> my world as i knew it was falling apart. i feared being blamed and retaliated against. i was embarrassed. >> it was instance after instance of a failed system when i i became ostracized, singled out, publicly shamed, disciplined for getting treatment and treated as though i was the one who did something wrong. >> kenyon says she was raped twice in the

troops from afghanistan if president hamid karzai doesn't sign a security pact. tara mergener is in washington with more on mr. obama's very direct message to the afghan president. good morning, tara. >> good morning, anne-marie. no more security deal, no more u.s. troops. hamid karzai heard it directly from the president and the white house says this is no bluff. in their first phone conversation since last summer, president obama laid down the law to afghan president hamid karzai. without a new bilateral security agreement, the u.s. would implement a zero option, pulling all troops out by the end of the year. >> the longer we go the more challenging it will be to plan and execute a mission. >> there are currently 34,000 american troops in afghan. the top u.s. commander recommended keeping 10,000 there for two more years in an advising and training capacity. some foreign policy experts believe this may be an earth by the afghan president to assert his authority and distance himself from the u.s. >> he's concerned about himself and so he's been interacting with t

and now karzai, i don't think anybody knows what game he's playing.t you, but i would have liked to have listened in on that conversation yesterday between the president and karzai, but i understand the president laid it on the line. >> well, for sure i would have liked to listen in because he has to be completely fed up with karzai. and now there's a risk that the taliban are going to reverse all of the progress, all of the thousands of lives and billions of dollars, america's longest war. and how do we justify this kind of a withdrawal even though it is what the american people want? >> well, that's the hard part. and i think in the end there will be some kind of agreement because i think whoever the new leadership is, and there's no way to predict, i think they've gotten a dozen or so candidates, but i think there's a consensus among the leadership, except for karzai, that some kind of an agreement to at least maintain the training forces and some presence that continues and allows us to assist them with counter terrorism and just basic security, i

but recently karzai has ignored it and released these detainees in any event.t is why this language that u.s. government officials is using is the strongest i have ever seen on this subject and obviously our leaders and our officials are very concerned. jenna: what actions will follow that language? >> nothing. the fact of the matter is they're going to be out on the street and we're going to move past karzai and make a bilateral security agreement with his successor over the next number of months. jenna: so here we are, middle of february, the election in afghanistan is the first week of april. we've talked many a time, general, about this spring fighting season when the weather improves in afghanistan and there is more fighting and altercations. what do you think our soldiers are facing? even though we say we're going to leave, what are they facing in the months ahead? >> well certainly when you're on the battlefield you're always susceptible and vulnerable to a certain degree. what our role is now is supporting afghans leading the fight. so we have backed aw

why might karzai be doing this now?ay from the next presidential election in afghanistan. he is not able to run again. but he has got legacy issues, he wants to make sure he's getting the best deal he can, many people say, before he leaves office. and he wants to ensure at a minimum, his own security, one can only suppose, in the next regime. senator john mccain is someone you talked to all of the time, has been very adamant in his criticism of karzai and his criticism of karzai and the u.s. not coming to it an agreement to let those troops stay. i want you to listen to some of what mccain has been saying lately. >> we should not be surprised that president karzai has been having secret contacts with the taliban, because he knows that we are leaving. and therefore, he has to try to accommodate for that most likely scenario. doesn't have any sign-off. president karzai is paranoid and irrational. but like most people with paranoia, there is a basis for that. and when he reads that the united states is planning on having e

president karzai said the u.s. should stop interfering in afghanistan's affairs. >> police used water cannons against protestors, thousands demonstrating against a bill tightening the internet in turkey. there were protests last summer. turkey has passed a law giving more power to the military. some say it is covering up a major scandal. >> members of parliament approved legislation that gives the government more power over the military. it now only needs the president's approval to come into effect. under the new law, the prime minister will have the power to order the prosecution of any military commander and with the consent of the president and government, he will be able to extend the term of officers or commanders in the army, navy and air force until retirement age. >> the turkish republic will not allow illegal structure. the state gets it power by laws. turkey has become stronger. the motive behind the ruling justice and development party is being questioned. the opposition it is the government wants to co

they are going to win in the end and why would we even let karzai do that. realize we can't stop them but what we can do is stop giving them money and then scaling down our forc the president is doing, and i think we all realize the president is planning to leave afghanistan. and he's going to blame it on karzai and he's probably the right one to blame it on. but the fact is, there can be no compromise between having the taliban as part of the government and democratic government. >> it is stunning, stunning that the taliban has resurge ent apparently with the blessing of the united states as well as the afghan government and karzai, but secondly, we didn't even bother to destroy the puppy fields in afghanistan. we were there for 12 years. you wonder about the level of intelligence that was brought to bear and the commitment on the part of both the civilian and military leadership that have directed these wars over that long period of time. what are your thoughts? >> well, i have been very disappointed in the strategy that we adopted. the counter insurgency

they just won't be the kind karzai is holding.l with some parts of the taliban and somehow bring them into the governing structure there, but not the ones that are went on terrorism. >> is it possible to do that and keep stability there? >> i don't think so. the taliban has a saying about americans. they say you have the watches, but you we have the time. they know we're going home. theynow they are home.you we ha. they know we're going home. they know they are home.ou we h. they know we're going home. they know they are home.u we ha. they know we're going home. they know they are home. we hav. they know we're going home. they know they are home. so the future of afghanistan is not in our hands. >> but what will likely happen is a partition. they will control the south. it is controlled by warlords which is the way it was before the u.s. invasion. >> either outlook, not good. stay tuned. as snow days pile up, so do the creative ways to announce that there won't be any classes. coming up, using a 180s hit song to get it done. ♪ ♪ ♪

that's about it. >> that is hamid karzai's trump card. if the u.s. is going to continue the strikes, u.s. troops have to be in afghanistan. >> if the president was to decide on the zero option, he will get pushback from the military, from some members of congress who fear what will happen in afghanistan. >> the american public will be more forgiving. >> those people would be happy to see the aid kept in the u.s. it is the american trump card. it's not a question of if the u.s. forces take on the taliban and win. >> bernard smith has more from kabul. >> the u.s. wanted to leave about 8,000 troops in afghanistan from the beginning of 2015 to train, advise and assist afghan forces and continue the fight against al qaeda remnants. if they pull out, 13 years, and the loss lives, the u.s. could risk losing gains in afghanistan in the fight against terrorism. there's a risk for the afghan government if the u.s. pulls out. foreign powers contribute up to $8 billion a year to maintaining afghan forces and providing aid to afghanistan. it's unlikely they'll wa

tracy, good morning, any word yet from harmid karzai? >> reporter: not yet. the plan was to leave thousands of u.s. troops in afghanistan after the official end of the war but now without that security agreement signed, president obama is telling the pentagon to get their plans ready in case he wants to bring everyone home. in a phone call president obama gives afghan president hamid karzai, sign an agreement or all troops leave this year. >> i can't ask men and women to serve in a country without the protections served by a bilat rl security agreement. >> reporter: that's martin dempsey on the ground. they want to leave 10,000 troops after this year to help afghans keep an eye on the taliban and al qaeda but that can't happen until the bsa is a done deal. >> the longer we go without a bsa, we've been making this clear, the more challenging it will be to plan. >> they may be trying to send president karzai a message, you're pushing your luck. >> reporter: karzai said he may leave the decision up to the next president which for the u.s. may be too late. the wo

hamid karzai refused to sign it. the administration said "you have to sign it by the end of the year", he didn't. in january america said "you have to sign it within weeks", hamid karzai said wait until after the elections, then you can do it. >> the white house said it was not good enough and want it signed now. after president obama spoke with hamid karzai for the first time in months by telephone, the administration says they will wait those months, until after the elections in afghanistan. jay carney is the white house spokesman and how he described it. >> planning for a 2014 smaller troop presence, and in the president's view it is necessary to plan for the force against the clock here, in the sense the longer we go without a bsa, the smaller in smile and ambitious the mission would be. >> what is the role. u.s. troops after the combat role is over. it was described as straining and advising afghan forces and going after the remnants of core al qaeda. martin dempsey, the chairman of the joint chief of staffs arr

now president karzai has refused to sign that. you know to my past comments before i reentered government about what i thought about that and the erratic way in which he has operated. there wouldr that be no u.s. or partner forces, nato forces, in afghanistan if the afghan government does not sign. >> so it is up to him? >> it is up to the afghan government. there is an election coming up and there will be a transition of power. right now the clock is ticking because we have to land -- plan for what the newsday will be. will be.ate i think there is reason to maintain them -- a partnership with afghanistan for u.s. security reasons. that arrangement has to be finalized and we have to plan for that small mission. combat operations will come to one and at the end of 2014. >> final question. this is not your area, i know, but you know a lot about politics. a story came out on friday that chris christie had appointed to government knew about the lane closings one that happened. if that story is true, do you think that probably ends his

they are at a standstill between the government and karzai. on the world stage, has stood in the way of much of what has tried to the ice is trying to accomplish given all of the blood and fresh sure that this country has spent in afghanistan. at 3:00 today, general joseph dunford, he is the commander of all international forces in afghanistan, will be here at the white house to meet with the president, top officials from the pentagon, the secretary of state, the president, vice president, on down will be there at that meeting to talk about the end game. what is at stake here? that fours, some 10,000 americans 3,000 international troops to stay in afghanistan after the u.s. combat role is done there. here is the problem, he says he wants to wait until the next president is installed. the united states government has threatened him, saying if we don't get this soon, we won't be able to leave a force there, that's what is on the table today. i had an opportunity, on the capitol hill earlier food, to speak with both john mccain, two republican se

hamid karzai accused the u.s. of trying to meddle in their internal affairs. >> afghanistan is a sovereign country. if the afghan official societies decide to release a prisoner, it is of no concern to the u.s. and should be of no concern to the u.s. i hope that the united states will stop harassing afghanistan's procedures and judicial authority and i hope that the united states will now begin to respect afghan sovereignty. >> for weeks the u.s. and n.a.t.o. were campaigning to keep the men locked up. afghanistan should put the men on trial for dozens of roadside bombings and attacks on military targets. >> on thursday, even though the federal government was closed because of a snow storm, the obama administration criticised the government. >> we are urging the government make every effort to make sure the releases do not convict new acts of violence and terror and bring to justice any who would. none of the men were tried in court. a review board looked at their cases saying there was not enough evidence to hold

in this case, the afghan president, hamid karzai.it's another thing for the white house then oh to release a press release announcing this bold threat to the afghanis in this press release that the white house put out. it underscores the stakes involved and the pressure of the u.s. putting -- the pressure the u.s. is putting on hamid karzai right now. no love lost between these two leaders. all right, barbara, thanks very much. a major development today over at the white house. >>> other news we're following, we're getting republican reaction now to some proposed cuts for the u.s. army that the pentagon announced yesterday. i spoke just a little while ago to senator marco rubio. here is part of our exchange. what about chuck hagel's proposal, the defense secretary, yesterday, to cut back pretty significantly u.s. military troop levels and eliminate some expensive hardware? >> i'm not in favor of it. and we have to understand that part of that is the budget deals made around here and the reason those budget deals had to be made is bec