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The fate of the U.S. military's mis- sion in Afghanistan in 2014 remains unclear as Afghan President Hamid Karzai delays signing a crucial security agreement. That is just one stumbling block in the region. While failure to sign the agreement leaves the United States uncertain about how long sol- diers might stay, a blockage of a critical supply line between Pakistan and Afghanistan is putting more pressure on logistics.
At a press conference in December 2013, Army GEN Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said the bilateral agreement will define U.S. roles and options, but it isn't bind- ing until Karzai signs it and it is rati- fied by the Afghan parliament.
Delay causes uncertainty, not just for U.S. soldiers and their families about future deployments, but also among the Afghan people. Dempsey said some Afghan security forces are bro- kering deals with the local Taliban, which is a worrisome sign. "What hangs in the balance, the longer the [agreement] is unresolved, is the confi- dence of the people," he said, because they are left uncertain "whether we're actually going to be there for them."
Pakistani citizens have created an- other stumbling block to the U.S. ef- forts. Protestors in northwest Pakistan have blockaded the Torkham Gate- one of the major supply lines between Pakistan and Afghanistan. They are furious at the recent string of U.S. drone strikes that, they insist, killed in- nocent people. Secretary Hagel, com- menting on that problem, said, "Con- tinuing challenges with our ground lines of communication in Pakistan is but one example of the need to gain certainty now regarding our post-2014 presence."
Afghanistan Deployments. Five units will deploy this spring as part of the upcoming rotation of forces in Af- ghanistan, DoD announced. The units include an Infantry brigade combat team with about 3,200 soldiers, a Cav- alry regiment with roughly 2,000 sol- diers, elements of two combat aviation brigades with a total of 2,700 person- nel, and a division headquarters with about 350 personnel. The units are:
* 1st Brigade, 82nd Airborne Divi- sion, Fort Bragg, N.C.
* 3rd Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas.
* 16th Combat Aviation Brigade, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
* 12th Combat Aviation...