WHAT has Afghanistan's recently concluded loya jirga really achieved? By bringing together over 2,000 delegates who agreed the American military should maintain some presence in the country for 10 years beyond the transfer of authority to Afghan forces in 2014, President Hamid Karzai appears to have convened it to demonstrate political backing for this position. At the same time, he attempted to bolster his nationalist credentials with rhetoric about Afghan sovereignty and the inclusion of preconditions, including an end to American night raids, an end to immunity for Americans committing crimes in Afghanistan and complete Afghan control over detainees. But objections from within Afghanistan raise questions about the legitimacy and practicality of the jirga's conclusions, and it remains unclear whether the gathering will in fact strengthen Mr Karzai's hand in negotiations with the Americans. Unsurprisingly, the Taliban have rejected the jirga as an extension of foreign occupation. On Sunday, hundreds of students protested in Jalalabad against what they saw as kowtowing to the Americans. Political rivals had claimed that most of the attendees were handpicked by Mr Karzai and many opposition politicians opted not to join. Their cynicism is only bolstered by the fact that the jirga sidestepped an ongoing session of the Afghan parliament.

The fact does remain that without continued outside support, including funding and training, Afghan security forces seem woefully inadequate to take over from the US in 2014. At the same time, Afghans resent some of the behaviour of US troops in the country. And any long-term American presence, including military bases, should be used to help ensure Afghanistan's stability and prevent the strengthening of terror networks rather than to keep a foothold in the region for reasons having to do with Afghanistan's neighbours. Any long-term US presence negotiated without taking into account the views of these neighbours and the Afghan opposition has the potential to prevent a unified national and regional effort to ensure stability in Afghanistan. Mr Karzai's jirga may have achieved some degree of political support for a long-term US presence, but the usefulness of that support remains questionable.