Afghan president ready to let US have 9 bases

Afghan Army soldiers gather at a training facility on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, May 8, 2013. Afghanistan had claimed earlier this week that its forces were fired on in the Goshta district of Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province, the same place where a firefight between Afghan and Pakistani forces left an Afghan border policeman dead and two Pakistani soldiers wounded last week. Relations between the two neighbors have been severely strained between the two sides over the demarcation of their border. (AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus)

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The U.S. can keep nine bases inAfghanistan after the scheduled 2014 NATO combat troop pullout, the country's president said Thursday, the first time he has made such an offer in public.

Hamid Karzai insisted on "security and economic guarantees" first.

Talks over a deal that would outline the American presence in Afghanistan after next year have been in progress for many months, and few details have been released.

Speaking at a ceremony at Kabul University, Karzai said, "When they (the U.S.) do this, we are ready to sign" a partnership agreement.

Karzai said Afghanistan wants a U.S. commitment to boost its security, strengthen its armed forces and promise long-term economic development.

The U.S. Embassy spokesman in Kabul, David Snepp, refused to address details of the agreement. "We have not and will not comment on specifics in the ongoing negotiations," he told The Associated Press. "However, as President Obama has stated, the U.S. does not seek permanentmilitary bases in Afghanistan. We envision that the BSA (Bilateral Strategic Agreement) will address access to and use of Afghan facilities by U.S. forces in the future."

Still, there was no reference to "existing" bases in Karzai's comments. He said only that the U.S. has requested nine bases in the country.

A senior U.S. official familiar with the talks told The Associated Press earlier that the U.S. and Karzai are at odds over his request that the United States guarantee it would side with Afghanistan if neighboring Pakistan poses a threat. So far the U.S. is refusing, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief reporters.

The negotiations over a strategic agreement have been protracted and at times acrimonious, reflecting Washington's relationship with Karzai, who has often had strong words of criticism for Washington. In March, when it appeared that the agreement was about to be signed, Karzai made a statement that suggested that the United States and the Taliban were benefiting each other and even in collusion to keep U.S. troops in the country, though the U.S. has been fighting Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan for two decades.

As a result, the U.S. put the agreement on hold.

Some Afghans who are familiar with the Afghan president that his tough talk is a negotiating ploy to get more from the United States, particularly in relation to Pakistan.

Tensions between the two countries have escalated dramatically in the last two weeks, with both sides accusing each other of unprovoked attacks.

During his speech Thursday marking the 80th anniversary of Kabul University, Afghanistan's premiere post-secondary educational institution, Karzai warned Pakistan against sending its forces across the border or trying to force Afghanistan to accept the old Durand partition line as the international border.

This week Afghanistan accused Pakistan of crossing into its territory. Pakistan's military flatly denied that.

"Let this be absolutely clear that neither Pakistani security forces crossed into Afghan territory at Ghoshta area nor anywhere else along the Pakistan-Afghan border ... This is baseless and fabricated news," a Pakistani military statement said.

In his speech, Karzai issued fresh warnings to Pakistan to stay away from its borders and to stop any attempts at exerting influence over Afghanistan.

"We want a civilized relationship with Pakistan but if any neighbor wants Afghanistan under its shadow ... it is not possible," said Karzai. "If there is any attack or any violation to force Afghanistan to accept the Durand Line, the Afghan nation will never accept it and will never recognize the Durand Line. Impossible.'

The Durand line is a 1893 British demarcation arbitrarily dividing the area between Afghanistan and what was then British-ruled India. Pakistan was created in 1947 when British rule of the subcontinent ended. The Durand Line has served as the border between the two nations ever since. Karzai has never said what he would accept as an international border.

Historically, the relationship between Afghanistan and Pakistan has been uneasy.

Pakistan was one of only three countries to recognize the Taliban regime and was its major supporter until the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, when it did an about-face and joined the coalition to oust Taliban rule.

Relations with Karzai's government have been erratic.

One of the main issues has been allegations that Pakistan harbors insurgents fighting Afghan and coalition forces in Afghanistan. Although the Pakistani army has lost thousands of soldiers fighting its own Taliban at home, its refusal to target Afghan Taliban and its affiliates, like the Haqqani network, and shut down its sanctuaries have marred the relationship between the two countries.

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Kathy Gannon is AP Special Regional Correspondent for Afghanistan. Follow her at www.twitter.com/kathygannon

Puerto Rico Catholics support archbishop

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Roman Catholics in Puerto Rico rallied Wednesday around an archbishop who is apparently under pressure from the Vatican to resign for allegedly covering up for sexually abusive priests and other misdeeds.

Archbishop Roberto Gonzalez Nieves has not confirmed that he is being asked to step down as leader of the Catholic Church in the U.S. island territory. However, he has asked parishioners to pray for him.

"I beg of you, please, do not send letters to the Holy See with expressions of solidarity. There is only one thing to do in situations like these: Pray," he wrote in a May 3 letter that was read to churchgoers last Sunday. "I know the last two weeks have been intense and painful for all of us for reasons you already know."

A rally of support Wednesday evening coincided with Gonzalez's 14th anniversary at the Puerto Rican archdiocese. He had previously studied and worked in New York, Texas, Maryland and Massachusetts. The 62-year-old was born in New Jersey but moved to Puerto Rico at a young age.

Maria Flores, a church member from the San Juan suburb of Bayamon, dismissed the allegations against Gonzalez as unproven.

"It's taught that we should have compassion for sinners," said Flores, one of about 200 supporters who gathered at Santa Teresita church in San Juan. "Jesus forgave."

Gonzalez reached out to supporters after local radio station Noti Uno recently published a letter that he allegedly wrote to Cardinal Marc Ouellet, head of the Vatican's powerful office for bishops. In the six-page letter dated Feb. 20, Gonzalez defends himself against accusations including that he protected priests accused of sexual abuse and meddled in local politics.

The Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said Wednesday the Holy See had no comment on the letter, the publication of which he called an "indiscretion."

The matter is significant because the Vatican has long been criticized by victims of sexually abusive priests for having failed to punish bishops who covered up for their abusive priests, moving them from parish to parish rather than reporting them to police. If indeed the Vatican is trying to persuade Gonzalez to resign for having done just that, it would mark a significant development.

Even more significant would be if the Vatican were to forcibly remove him if he continues to resist resigning on his own.

Retired Pope Benedict XVI on a handful of occasions forcibly removed bishops who resisted the Vatican's persuasions that they retire early. But none were believed to have been removed for having covered up for abusive priests.

At 62, Gonzalez is 13 years below the normal retirement age for bishops.

Gonzalez issued a brief statement following Noti Uno's report.

"Any communication or alleged communication between this servant and the Holy See that involves an internal and confidential matter, I'll only deal with the Holy See on it," he said. "I also invite you to pray, so the truth that can set us free be known in this matter."

In the Feb. 20 letter, Gonzalez allegedly wrote that he would not step down and that he was profoundly offended and hurt by the gravity of the accusations, requesting evidence to back them up. He noted that the accusations were made verbally during a Dec. 15 meeting with Monsignor Lorenzo Baldisseri, secretary of the Congregation for Bishops.

"It caused me great dismay, first, because they were false and distorted, and second, because it seemed that my guilt was prejudged," he said. "In fact, it's not clear if these accusations are final and if so, what investigation prompted them."

Gonzalez stated that in October 2011 he was the target of an apostolic visitation, a Vatican-mandated investigation that is still ongoing. Gonzalez did not explain the reason behind the visit, except to say he was temporarily prohibited from making religious appointments, and that he was warned he might not be notified about possible future visits.

Such apostolic visitations occur worldwide with some frequency for issues ranging from alleged sex abuse to financial irregularities.

Supporters of Gonzalez, including several nonprofit religious organizations on the island, say he is the target of a political campaign to oust him.

"We condemn the evil leak of confidential information, and even more, the anonymity that his accusers have maintained," said officials with the Puerto Rican Catholic Alliance for Life and Homeland.

Eduardo Rivero, president of Radio Isla, a local news station, condemned those who have rushed to judge Gonzalez. He also accused other local media of unfairly attacking him.

"I'm well aware of the risks of commenting on a religious matter as president of this medium," he said in a statement. "But ... I cannot remain silent ...You can be sure Radio Isla will always be on the side of those who are good for Puerto Rico."

Gonzalez noted that he was asked not to talk about the situation, but that he has reached out to several bishops and cardinals he considers friends so he can defend himself. He wrote that one of them is Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York, where Gonzalez worked for 12 years before eventually moving to Puerto Rico.

He said he had also discussed the matter with three other U.S. cardinals, among them Cardinal Bernard Law, who resigned in disgrace as archbishop of Boston in 2002 when the clerical sex abuse scandal exploded in the U.S. Rather than being punished for covering up for the pedophiles on his staff, however, Law was given the plum job as archpriest of one of the Vatican's major basilicas in Rome.

Gonzalez said he also was told that after resigning, he should seek another position within the church.

"Given that the accusations are so serious, that if they were true, how is it possible for me to occupy another position?" he wrote.

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Shane Franklin Miller's Vehicle Found in California Family Slaying Manhunt

Shane Franklin Miller's Vehicle Found in California Family Slaying Manhunt (ABC News)

Authorities have discovered the pickup truck of an "extremely dangerous" Northern California man who they say is the prime suspect in the triple homicide of his wife and two daughters.

Shane Franklin Miller is considered heavily armed and dangerous, according to the Shasta County Sheriff's Office. The 45-year-old is believed to have gunned down his family at their home in rural Shingletown, Calif., about 230 miles northeast of San Francisco on Tuesday.

"There is a manhunt for him right now. He's a prime suspect. We're not looking for anybody else," Lt.Dave Kent said. "We found several different types of weapons, ammunition in the house, so he may be heavily fortified at this time."

Police have launched a nationwide manhunt for Miller.

The bodies of Miller's wife, Sandy, 34, and two daughters, Shelby, 8, and Shasta, 4, were discovered after a call was received from the family's residence just before 8 p.m. It is unclear who placed the call, but authorities said that it came from one of the victims while the shooting was in progress.

Police have yet to determine a motive for the shooting. Kent said last month officers went to Miller's home on a domestic dispute call.

Miller was believed be driving a gold-colored 2010 Dodge Mega Cab pickup with a camper shell.

Wednesday night police received calls that Miller's vehicle may have been spotted in both Petrolia, Calif. and Honeydew, Calif., towns over 200 miles away, near the California coastline. Deputies and officers from the other agencies converged on the area. A search turned up the truck parked and vacant.

Police told The AP that Miller be heading to a cabin in coastal Humboldt County, where authorities have said several weapons may be stored.

Black Butte Union Elementary School District official Don Aust told The Record Searchlight that Shelby and Shasta were pulled out of school within the last month.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Ariel Castro, Cleveland Kidnap Suspect, May Face Death Penalty

Ariel Castro, Cleveland Kidnap Suspect, May Face Death Penalty (ABC News)

An Ohio prosecutor said he may seek the death penalty againstAriel Castro, the Cleveland man charged today with the kidnap and rape of three women he allegedly brutalized for a decade while allegedly inducing abortions in at least one of the captives.

"Capital punishment must be reserved for those crimes that are truly the worst examples of human conduct," Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy McGinty said today, indicating that Castro will likely face additional charges of aggravated murder related to the pregnancies.

The death penalty is applicable under Ohio law for the "most depraved criminals who commit aggravated murder during the course of a kidnapping," McGinty said.

Castro allegedly induced abortions in one of his victims, Michele Knight, 32, on at least five separate occasions by punching her in the stomach.

But another alleged captive, Amanda Berry, carried a child to term, delivering the now 6-year-old girl in a plastic kiddie pool, police said.

Castro today was charged with four charges of kidnap, one for each women and the 6-year-old child whom Berry delivered while in captivity. He was charged with three counts of rape.

Bail was set at $2 million per case, for a total of $8 million. Castro is an unemployed, former school bus driver.

Castro, who also reportedly told investigators he is a "sex addict," is being held in isolation at an Ohio jail.

Investigators discovered a note at his home on Seymour Avenue, according to ABC News affiliate WEWS-TV, where police say Castro kept the women bound and prevented them from leaving. In the note, believed to have been written in 2004 or 2005, Castro expresses remorse for his actions and says he is addicted to sex, the station reported.

READ MORE: Kidnap Suspect Comforted Victim's Mom Last Year

In court this morning, Castro, 52, did not enter a plea or speak. Unshaven and wearing a dark-blue prison jumpsuit, he kept his head down through the proceedings and signed documents with shackled hands.

"The situation has turned," Cuyahoga County Assistant Prosecutor Brian Murphy told the court. "Castro is the captive in captivity."

Castro is being held in "administrative segregation" at the Cuyahoga County Jail, isolated from other prisoners. He is on suicide watch, but officials do not believe he is a threat to himself, WEWS reported.

Castro likely will face additional charges after a grand jury hearing. He was represented today by a public defender.

Despite years of looking for the women -- Amanda Berry, 27, Michele Knight, 32, and Gina DeJesus, 23 -- who individually went missing between 2002 and 2004, there were no leads in any of the cases until Monday, when a neighbor heard Berry screaming from behind a locked door and helped free the women.

Castro's two brothers, Onil Castro, 50, and Pedro Castro, 54, who were arrested with him, were not charged in connection with this case. Both men appeared in court on old misdemeanor charges.

Onil was given credit for time he served while being question since Monday. Charges against Pedro were dropped. They were both released this morning.

Following his arraignment Castro's mother offered an apology to the victims. "I am really suffering and I ask those mothers to forgive me and the girls to forgive me. I am suffering what they suffered because I am suffering for my son," Lilian Rodriguez told reporters today. "My son is sick. I have nothing to do with what he did."

READ MORE: Missing Cleveland Women 'Really, Really Strong Individuals'

The court documents released Wednesday give the clearest clues yet in the investigation on how thewomen were treated in captivity. Ariel Castro lured each victim from the street and into his car, according to the documents. Knight was abducted first in 2002 and brought to the kidnap suspect's modest two-story home on Seymour Avenue. She would later be joined by Berry in 2003 and DeJesus a year later.

Police made it clear they believe that each kidnap victim was "repeatedly sexually assaulted by the defendant," and that the abuse occurred "during the entire course of captivity," according to charging documents filed in court Wednesday.

The women were initially chained in the basement and sexually assaulted, a senior official from theCleveland Police Department told ABC News. Later, when their "spirits were broken," they were allowed to be in other parts of the house, the official said.

Knight, Castro's first alleged kidnapping victim, told police she was impregnated five times by Castro,ABC News affiliate WEWS-TV reported. In each case, she reportedly was made to abort the fetus when he punched her in the belly.

Berry, however, delivered her tormentor's apparent child six years ago in a small inflatable pool "so the mess was easy to clean up," a law enforcement source told WEWS.

The little girl, named Jocelyn, was born Christmas Day in 2006, the mother told her family in a phone call on Tuesday, according to WEWS.

Jocelyn, police say, was the captive who had the most freedom, officials said. The 6-year-old left the house occasionally with the suspect, Cleveland Chief of Police Michael McGrath told ABC News. Police said they were conducting a paternity test and were not yet certain the baby was fathered by Castro.

"She did leave the house. I have information that she did leave the house occasionally with the suspect," McGrath said Wednesday.

Deputy Police Chief Ed Tomba said the women could remember being outside only twice during their entire time in captivity. When those rare moments took place, the women were allowed to go only as far as the backyard and had to don wigs, sunglasses and keep their heads down, police said.

RELATED: Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus Return Home to Cheers

In newly released police audio tapes, a 911 dispatcher notified officers Monday that he had just spoken to a woman who "says her name is Amanda Berry and that she had been kidnapped 10 years ago."

An officer on the recorded call says, "This might be for real."

After police arrived at the house, women can be heard crying in the background. Then an officer tells the dispatcher: "We found 'em. We found 'em."

As Knight remains hospitalized, Berry and DeJesus returned home Wednesday to reunite with family members they have not seen in a decade.

DeJesus didn't speak much when she arrived home, but immediately bonded with her family members, her relatives told ABC News. Upon seeing her father for the first time in the hospital, DeJesus asked her father, "Dad, did you stop smoking yet?"

Family members also told ABC News that DeJesus had forgotten how to speak Spanish.

Hours earlier, Berry arrived at her sister Beth Serrano's home with Jocelyn. Serrano asked for privacy for her sister as she readjusts to life outside of captivity.

Meanwhile, FBI Evidence Response Team and a K-9 Unit Wednesday entered a vacant house two doors from the suspect's house dressed in hazmat suits. There has been no comment on why the home was searched and whether anything of significance was found.

ABC News' Alyssa Newcomb and Anthony Castellano contributed to this report.