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October 26, 2010

Karzai Confirms Iran and US Gives Him Bags of Money
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Afghan President Hamid Karzai has confirmed that both the Iranian and US
governments have given his office bags of money that he could spend with
no oversight. The secret payments became an issue on Sunday when the New
York Times published an article exposing how Iran’s ambassador to
Afghanistan pays off members of Karzai’s government. On Monday, Karzai
addressed the Iranian payments. He said, “This is something I have also
discussed in Camp David with President Bush. This is nothing hidden. The
US is doing the same thing, [supplying] cash to some of our offices." In
Washington, State Department spokesperson P.J. Crowley accused Iran of
helping to destabilize the region.

P.J. Crowley: "We will let the government of Afghanistan speak to how
they spend the financial assistance received from other countries, but
we remain skeptical of Iran’s motives, given its history of playing a
destabilizing role with its neighbors. We hope that Iran will take
responsibility to play a constructive role in the future of
Afghanistan."



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