But the United States has repeatedly pressed for the pact to be signed by the end of this month so that the US-led Nato military coalition can schedule its withdrawal of 87,000 combat troops by December 2014. "The tone was constructive throughout the entire conversation," a US official told reporters after Karzai and Kerry met. "It is fair to say that the differences that exist were narrowed on the vast of majority of the outstanding issues.
"Certainly, the scope of counter-terrorism was discussed." Afghan officials declined to comment, but Kabul has previously said the sticking points were US demands for the right to conduct unilateral military operations against militants, and on how the US would pledge to protect Afghanistan. The meeting between Kerry and Karzai came as the US said it had captured a senior leader of the Pakistani Taliban, Latif Mehsud, who is being held in Afghanistan according to the Pentagon.
"I can confirm that US forces did capture... terrorist leader Latif Mehsud in a military operation," State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf said Friday, describing him as a senior commander in the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). She gave no details of the operation but Pentagon officials said Mehsud was still inside Afghanistan, without specifying where. "As part of the armed conflict against al Qaeda, the Taliban, and associated forces, authorised by Congress in the 2001 Authorisation for the Use of Military Force, Mehsud was captured and is being lawfully held by US military forces in Afghanistan," said Pentagon spokeswoman Commander Elissa Smith.
Karzai has said he refuses to be rushed into signing the BSA deal, and would first seek approval from a traditional grand assembly of tribal leaders to be convened in about month's time. "If it doesn't suit us and if it doesn't suit them, then naturally we will go separate ways," he said in a BBC interview broadcast on Monday.
The agreement would see a few thousand US troops remain in Afghanistan to train local forces and target al Qaeda remnants. Karzai and Kerry, who have a warm personal friendship, were set to continue their talks on Saturday, though US officials said that the deal would not be signed during the visit. Afghan officials dismiss the possibility that the US may enact the "zero option" of a complete pull-out after its soldiers have fought the Taliban since the 9/11 attacks in 2001.
The Afghan leader has had a tempestuous relationship with the US and other foreign allies since he came to power in 2001, often sparking outrage with his criticism of international military efforts to thwart the Taliban insurgents.