In this Wednesday, May 8, 2013 photo, Afghan Army soldiers aim their guns during a training exercise at a military facility on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan. Washington promised Saturday to stick by Afghanistan and its nascent national security forces after 2014 and the end to the international combat mission, even though the two countries are still squabbling over an agreement that would protect from prosecution a residual force of as many as 10,000 U.S. troops who would stay behind after the final withdrawal. But the deal allows either country to opt out with a one year’s notice which means that Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s successor in next year’s presidential elections could scuttle the agreement which emphasizes free, fair and transparent polls. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)