Afghan ‘loya jirga’ to discuss key security deal with US opens

KABUL: About 2,500 Afghan tribal chieftains, community elders and politicians began a grand assembly on Thursday to debate a crucial security deal with the US.

President Hamid Karzai and most of his cabinet arrived at a giant Kabul tent to mark the official start of the "loya jirga", or grand assembly which will debate the bilateral security agreement with the US over the next four days. (AFP)