Afghan President Hamid Karzai confirmed Monday that his office has received money from the US Central Intelligence Agency over the past decade, with wads of cash reportedly handed over in suitcases and backpacks.
Karzai thanked the US spy agency for what he said was money well spent just hours after The New York Times reported that Karzai’s office received tens of millions of dollars in cash in a CIA effort to win influence.
“Yes, the NSC of Afghanistan has received money from CIA in the past 10 years. The amount was not big, rather it was small,” Karzai said in a statement, referring to the National Security Council which is part of his office.
Karzai said the money had been used for good causes in Afghanistan, where endemic corruption has undermined efforts to establish a stable state, more than 11 years after the US-led invasion to dislodge the Taliban.
“The money was spent for different reasons: operation objectives, helping wounded and sick (people) and for house rents and others objectives,” the president said, without giving further details.