Karzai Accepting Iranian Cash
The New York Times reports:
President Hamid Karzai acknowledged Monday that he regularly received bags of cash from the Iranian government containing millions of dollars, saying he used the off-the-books fund to pay expenses incurred in the course of doing his job.
Mr. Karzai made his remarks during a rambling, sometimes incoherent appearance at a news conference during which he accused the United States of funding the “killing” of Afghans by paying thousands of gunmen at private security contractors to guard buildings and convoys here. It was the latest outburst in a bitter dispute with the United States and its NATO allies that has taken on an increasingly anti-Western tone. The Iranian payments are intended to drive a wedge between Mr. Karzai and his American and NATO benefactors, Afghan officials have said.
Duing the news conference, Mr. Karzai confirmed a report in The New York Times on Sunday that said his chief of staff, Umer Daudzai, was covertly receiving as much as $6 million in cash — often stuffed in bags — from Iranian officials.
“They do give us bags of money — yes, yes, it is done,” Mr. Karzai said. “We are grateful to the Iranians for this.”
“Patriotism has a price,” he said.
Mr. Karzai discounted the importance of the Iranian payments, saying it was a well-known practice that he had even disclosed to President Bush. Mr. Karzai said the Iranian money was used for “special expenses and helping people.” He did not offer more specifics.
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