On Thursday, November 21, 2013, a council of roughly 3,000[1] Afghan tribal elders, civic leaders and other prominent figures gathered to debate the draft bilateral security agreement (BSA) between Afghanistan and the United States. The council, referred to as a loya jirga (which means “grand council” in Pashto), was called by Afghan President Hamid Karzai to discuss and advise on the terms of the security pact.  By the end of the four-day convention, the vast majority of the Jirga voted <Read More>