( CNN ) -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Thursday that a recently reached security agreement with the United States should not be signed until after elections in April . His comments in Kabul to thousands of tribal elders at a meeting -- known as a loya jirga , or grand assembly -- are at odds with what U.S. officials want . The loya jirga must decide whether to accept or reject the deal , which lays out a limited support role for American forces beyond next year . U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki told reporters in Washington that authorities are `` seeking clarity on the meaning and intention , '' of Karzai 's remarks . `` Broadly speaking , when we signed the strategic partnership agreement last year , both countries committed to completing the BSA ( bilateral security agreement ) within one year . We , of course , know the math . That window is this month , and we believe that signing the BSA sooner rather than later is essential to give Afghans certainty about their future before the upcoming elections , and enable the United States and other partners to plan for U.S. presence after 2014 , '' she said . `` We need a timely conclusion of this in order to plan for a -- any potential post-2014 presence -- which means signing it by the end of the year , '' Psaki said . If approved , the agreement would go into effect January 1 , 2015 , and last `` until the end of 2024 and beyond , unless terminated '' by mutual agreement and with two years notice by either party , according to a copy of the deal posted online by the Afghan government that a U.S. official confirms is authentic . The subject of military raids and strikes has long been a sore point between the two countries , especially given a number of incidents in which noncombatant men , women and children were killed . The proposed deal contains references to respecting `` Afghanistan 's sovereignty and territorial integrity , '' and adds U.S. forces `` shall not target Afghan civilians , including in their homes . '' It does not address past transgressions . `` If you accept and the parliament passes it , the bilateral security agreement would be signed when our election is done -- without any problem and with dignity , '' Karzai said Thursday in Kabul . Elections are scheduled for April . The Afghan president also addressed the subject of trust between his country and the United States . `` My trust with America is not good . I do n't trust them , and they do n't trust me . The last 10 years have shown that I have fought with them , and they have made propaganda against me , '' he said . U.S. troops first deployed to Afghanistan after the September 11 , 2001 , terror attacks , which were coordinated by al Qaeda leaders then based in the south Asian nation . Since taking office , President Barack Obama has promised -- and , in some cases , acted -- to reduce troop levels there , in addition to stating the goal of ending the U.S. combat mission by the end of 2014 . The approval of a security agreement would pave the way for Americans troops to remain on the ground in Afghanistan beyond that . CNN 's Greg Botelho contributed to this report .
The Afghan president says the pact will not be signed until after April 20 . His words are at odds with what American officials say . ` ` My trust with America is not good . I do n't trust them , and they do n't trust me , '' Karzai says .