Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

NATO-led forces have begun the process of handling over responsibility for security to Afghan forces and will end the current 49-nation mission by 2014. But currently, the US is experiencing difficulty in getting the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) signed with the government of Afghanistan, which is important for the US remaining presence in the country.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai is reluctant to sign the BSA with the US. The NATO and the US have been pressing Karzai to close the deal as soon as possible.

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney on Monday said that the Afghan government has only "weeks and not months." NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen once warned that "it is clear that if there is no signature on the legal agreement, there can be no deployment and the planned assistance will be put at risk."

However, Karzai said he might not sign the agreement after elections in April. It will probably take more time for the two sides to make a compromise and reach an agreement.

The NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan is lacking in dignity and elegance. The US has failed in meeting several goals it initially aspired to when it launched the War in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan is still suffering terrorism. At the beginning of the war, the US hoped to eliminate regional terrorism. After meeting great difficulties, Washington adjusted its goals. It turned the focus to fighting Al Qaeda and its attached forces, in order to prevent further threats to the US and its allies.

However, terrorism still thrives in Afghanistan. In 2013, encouraged by the decision of NATO to withdraw, Taliban forces launched two major attacks, and frequent bombings cost many innocent lives. Besides, the reconstruction of Afghanistan has been unsatisfactory. The country is still mired in poverty.

Under US thinking, Afghanistan shoulders the responsibility as a pivot that links Central Asia and South Asia in its "Great Central Asia" strategy, which was first proposed in the summer of 2005 by Frederick Starr, chairman of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute at Johns Hopkins University, or the later "New Silk Road" strategy. The US hosted several international conferences to publicize the idea. However, little progress has been made and the plan was most like empty talk.

The relationship between the US and Afghanistan is not in good condition. The mutual trust between the two is fragile. The rift between Karzai and the White House is an open secret. Karzai is reluctant to obey the Western countries and follow every piece of advice the US gives.

The US has also expressed clear dissatisfaction with Karzai. As early as in 2009 when Afghanistan held its first president elections, the US criticized Karzai for fraud, stating that he did not deserve US support.

Karzai is concerned about his safety after the 2014 elections. He has made it clear that the US should not intervene in the domestic affairs of Afghanistan and should respect the freedom of the country to decide its own fate. It seems that Karzai is worried that any US influence in the elections will make the outcome unfavorable for him.

The US is still struggling to maintain its influence in Afghanistan and trying to prevent a burst of terrorist actions after the NATO withdrawal.

However, the most important goal for Afghanistan is to achieve development and improve people's living conditions. The most urgent task is to host transparent and trustworthy elections.

Other countries should respect Afghanistan's choice and avoid interference while strengthening support for the country's development.

The author is deputy director of the Department of International and Strategic Studies, China Institute of International Studies. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn