WASHINGTON  - The people of Afghanistan have been amazing allies of the United States, but the same could not be said about President Hamid Karzai, a top American lawmaker said on Monday.

“But let's not pin our hopes on one man, especially one man who is packing his bag in a few months,” Congressman Howard Buck McKeon told reporters at a luncheon meeting at the National Press Club.

About 2,500 leaders from around the country had overwhelmingly supported the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA), he said, referring to the polls that show 70 percent of Afghans wanted the American forces to stay in their country.

The November Loya Jirga strongly supported a US presence there, but Karzai had political problems or political ambitions, he said, insisting Washington could not tie everything to one man.

Meanwhile, State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters it was in the interest of the people of Afghanistan and the security of the United States to see a BSA signed. “Otherwise we will need to initiate planning for a zero option. But clearly, that is not the preference, and that’s why we continue to press on that front.”

Psaki said President Barrack Obama had a range of options on the number of troops in Afghanistan.  Obviously, he had not yet made a decision about what options he would go with, she said.

At the National Press Club, McKeon said locking down the BSA was the last big diplomatic step toward getting that job done permanently in Afghanistan.  The deal was vital to keeping the coalition going, he maintained.

"America leads the world. Leadership has responsibilities. There are times when democracies must take a hard look inward. There are times when we must come to terms with the burden of our values. Afghanistan is one of those moments," the lawmaker argued. (Pajhwok)