The United States has spilled blood and treasure in Afghanistan. But Iran has apparently bought more leverage by going straight to the top: giving cash to Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai. The Washington Times has a report, based on an interview with the former Afghan foreign minister.
Iran began delivering money to Afghan President Hamid Karzai as early as 2003, a former Afghan official says.
“It started in a sort of transparent manner when I was the foreign minister,” Abdullah Abdullah, now Afghanistan’s top opposition leader, said in an interview with editors and reporters of The Washington Times.
“So it was during [Iranian] President [Mohammed] Khatami’s time, and President Khatami mentioned it to President Karzai, that ‘from my own office, I have a budget at my discretion. If you agree with it, I would like to give some money for your office.’ So it started that way.”
Mr. Abdullah, who served as foreign minister from 2001 to 2005, recalled the Iranian offer coming in 2003 or 2004. He said Mr. Karzai briefed his national security council on it and told him that he had “raised the issue” with U.S. officials.
“In the first year, it was twice or three times that this happened — each time, perhaps around $1 million,” Mr. Abdullah said of the Iranian payments to Mr. Karzai.
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