WASHINGTON - The White House on Tuesday said negotiations on BSA were still going on even as the general agreement had been in place since last month when Secretary of State John Kerry travelled to Kabul for talks with President Hamid Karzai.

“This negotiation or this agreement is not reached until the Loya Jirga has passed judgment on it,” the White House spokesman said, hoping the Loya Jirga would soon approve it.

Conceding the general issue of civilian casualties had been of concern to the Afghan government and the United States, Carney said the US military took extraordinary precautions to avoid them. “So it is certainly the case that this has been a subject of discussion between the US and Afghanistan.”

“I would reiterate that we take every precaution to prevent civilian casualties, and we always express regret when civilians are killed. This is not a new issue in our relationship. It's one we've discussed openly in the past, and it's one we continue to work through,” Carney said.

Also on Tuesday, Kerry assured Karzai the Obama administration would consider his request for American reassurances, including the option of a letter on the issue of civilian casualties and night raids, officials said Tuesday.

The assurance was held out by Kerry during a telephone call to Karzai on the latest round of differences that have popped up between the United States and Afghanistan on certain aspects of the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA), which would be considered by the Loya Jirga for approval.

“Karzai asked for reassurances that he could communicate to the Loya Jirga regarding the nature of our security relationship going forward and addressing past issues such as civilian casualties,” a senior State Department official said.

“Kerry indicated that we want to continue working together to find a path forward, and that we will consider his request for reassurances including the option of a letter from the Administration stating our position,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

During their conversation, Kerry and Karzai reiterated the importance of moving toward agreement on the BSA. “Kerry also conveyed that it was important to move forward given the need for certainty and for the United States and our partners to plan ahead,” the official said.

“Karzai invited the secretary to attend the Loya Jirga and Kerry thanked him for the invitation, but conveyed that it would not be possible for him to attend this week,” the State Department official said. (Pajhwok)