KABUL, Afghanistan – A U.S. soldier who was driving a military truck that crashed into a line of cars in the Afghan capital, triggering the worst riot in years cannot be prosecuted in the country due to a pre-existing agreement between Kabul and Washington, the U.S. ambassador said Monday.
Afghanistan's parliament has called on the government to prosecute the soldier even though the U.S. military has said it believes the May 29 crash was an accident caused by brake failure.
U.S. Ambassador Ronald Neumann told reporters that a May 28, 2003, agreement between the two nations means the soldier could not face legal action here.
"There is a status of forces agreement and U.S. retains criminal jurisdiction for acts committed by military personnel in Afghanistan," he said.
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox