The White House and Afghanistan have reached agreement on a bilateral security pact that would preserve a U.S. military occupation beyond 2014. Under the deal, the U.S. military would maintain several bases, and its troops would be immune from prosecution in Afghan courts. The United States would not conduct military operations “unless mutually agreed.” Afghan officials say they have kept their demand for a White House apology over deadly raids on Afghan homes. But in Washington, Secretary of State John Kerry said an apology is off the table.

Secretary of State John Kerry: “But let me be clear: President Karzai didn’t ask for an apology. There was no discussion of an apology. There will be — there is no — I mean, it’s just not even on the table. He didn’t ask for it; we’re not discussing it. And that is not the subject that we have been talking about. What we’ve been talking about are the terms of the BSA [Bilateral Security Agreement] itself.”

The U.S.-Afghan pact now goes before an Afghan council of elders, known as a loya jirga, meeting in Afghanistan today. If approved, the United States is expected to maintain a force of around 8,000 to 12,000 troops after the formal withdrawal next year.