Afghans to decide on U.S. overstay in November

A national meeting to discuss the fate of a future security deal with the United States will be held in the third week of November, officials said on Saturday. It will decide if the U.S. and its allies will keep troops in Afghanistan after 2014 or pack up and leave.

Sadeq Mudaber, a member of the convening commission, said that the consultative assembly of tribal elders, or Loya Jirga, will start at some point between November 19 and 21 and could last as long as a week. He expected up to 3,000 people may attend.

Jurisdiction issue

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and President Hamid Karzai a week ago reached an agreement in principle on the major elements of a deal that would allow some American troops to stay on after 2014.

But Mr. Karzai had said the issue of jurisdiction over those forces must be debated by the Loya Jirga.