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KABUL – A clearly irritated President Hamid Karzai responded to a barrage of questions from journalists Monday about a report that his government has been the recipient of large sums of cash from the Iranian government.
"The cash payments are done by various friendly countries to help the president's office and to help dispense assistance in various ways to the employees around here, to people outside,” a defensive Karzai said in English. He added, “This is transparent... This is nothing hidden and we are grateful to Iran for the help in this regard.”
Karzai was responding to questions about a New York Times report that his chief of staff and most trusted confidant, Umar Daudzai, had been given a large plastic bag full of money by the Iranian ambassador, Feda Hussein Maliki, while sitting on an airport tarmac in Iran.
He went on to say that he has received large bags full of money from the United States as well.
“The United States is doing the same thing. They’re providing cash to some of our offices. If you would like to have the details, we’ll give you that, too.”
In response to a follow-up question about the U.S., Karzai said, “It does give bags of money, yes. Yes, it does. Ma’am it’s all the same, so let’s not make this an issue.”
Karzai suggested that the report about the cash payments from Iran might have been an attempt to at a smear campaign against Daudzai, his chief of staff. “In countries like ours, poor countries, patriotism comes at a cost,” Karzai said. “Maybe it is his turn to suffer too for his country.”
Iran denies ‘bags of money’ claim
In a bizarre twist, a statement posted on the Press TV website, the Iranian government’s English language TV channel, denied the claims of cash being paid to Karzai’s chief of staff.
Iran's embassy in Kabul also dismissed the report by the New York Times claiming that it delivered “bags of money” to Karzai.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Iranian embassy rejected the "false, ridiculous and insulting" claim by The New York Times. It said certain Western media make up such unfounded rumors to stir up public opinion and damage growing relations between the two neighboring countries.
The statement emphasized that strong historical and cultural bonds between the Iranian and Afghan nations would not be affected by such propaganda and baseless rumors of Western media.
The latest allegations of Iranian interference come at a critical time for Afghanistan.
Afghanistan's neighbors, in particular Iran and Pakistan are jockeying for position amid frequent reports of meetings between Afghan officials and insurgents, with increasing evidence that a reconciliation process has begun.
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My God, when will we wake up. This man is a criminal in league with criminals here in the US. Think about it, the afghans fought the russians ( one of the most ruthless armies on earth ) for ten years, and the US for nine, and are still undefeated, but somehow, in the short time between russia and the US, the taliban managed to take over. The obvious and inescapable conclusion is that the afghan people want the taliban.
Every day, brave American men and woman die so this pos can line his pockets with iranian money. If obama had any morals whatsoever, he would already be on tv screaming for karzai's ouster. We will never win the hearts of the afghans, so what we should do is leave them to the taliban, or whoever else they want to govern them, bring our boys home, with one proviso; if we are ever again attacked by taliban supported terrorists, our response will be nuclear.
'Don't make this an issue...'? It is an issue with me when you are given and take my tax dollars. I want the US criminals that hand out bags full of my tax cash to these criminals prosecuted. Where in the hell is justice. Why do I have to pay taxes so that US criminals can give it away to International criminals?
Every day, brave American men and woman die so this pos can line his pockets with iranian money. If obama had any morals whatsoever, he would already be on tv screaming for karzai's ouster. We will never win the hearts of the afghans, so what we should do is leave them to the taliban, or whoever else they want to govern them, bring our boys home, with one proviso; if we are ever again attacked by taliban supported terrorists, our response will be nuclear.
I agree with you on most of this, except for the nuclear response. I think we should be out of Afghanistan and also Iraq. If they want to pal around with the Iranians then let them.
But a nuclear response for Taliban backed terrorism would be a bit overkill...who do we nuke and why? I think the repercussions would be far worse than the terrorist act.
Its a bad situation if the Militants truly want to attack US Soil, they will not stop at conventional explosives. Being in Afghanistan gives the US an option to possibly secure Pakistan's Nuclear Arsenal which we are already surely monitoring, if the Pakistani government collapses.
Aside from That , Afghanistan gives The US another front along with Iraq from which to launch an attack on Iran's Nuclear facilities if it comes down to it.
It may not be only to protect the US from attack but to protect Israel from attack.
Iran already has operatives in Iraq but they don't have free reign to mass troops and equipment in Iraq or closer to Israel because of the US military presence.
If we pull back Israel will be in real danger, But I don't see how we can win the fights only deter the attack from Iran. It's as if our presence their is only a shield for Israel, until Iraqi's and Afghanistan start to help out. Pakistan has got to be trustworthy enough to keep its Nuclear arsenal secure before we can safely leave.
What a mess.
Karzai freely admits it, and Iranian officials deny it...why?
I suppose when you steal national elections and your brother is the biggest drug lord in the country, a little graft is no big deal.
I'm sure most Afghan people know how corrupt the government is. And I can only imagine how angree they may be with the US for supporting that corrupt government. I fail to see the US strategy here: go to Afghan, pick unpopular corrupt government (that will say whatever to whoever to get the money) and start giving lots of cash to these crooks. People say that Karzai's brother is corrupt? Give him more cash! Karzai is corrupt? Give him cash too.
In reality it's easy: giving money to Karzai does not win support of Afghan people.
Don't make it an issue"????? The issue is that this "turd" is lining his pockets at a lot of people's expense. Throw the bum out! I say make it a BIG issue!
throw him out? Why?
Do you really think there is any Afghan there that would behave differently? It's their culture, it's not their fault we can't comprehend it!
Exactly.
They are an opportunistic, back stabbing, primitive people. We don’t understand/comprehend their ways and never will, and the biggest fools have been our own government for the past 10 years. They have been sucked in by these ‘SLICK’ semi-westernized Middle Eastern ‘Leaders’ time and time again and we have to pay for it with our money and blood. ENOUGH!
Iraq deserved Sadam, and Afghanistan deserves whomever they end up with. If the “Man on the street” in Iraq or Afghanistan wanted change they have had their chance for 10 years to express it. The only ‘honor’ they know is for themselves, their family and their tribe, in that order.
The real terrorists are on Wall Street not in some distant training camp. No bombs or crumbling buildings brought the U.S. down… Our own citizens did it.
The "issue" is that thousands of Americans have died and tens of thousands have been maimed to keep this corrupt drug dealer and his extended family if office? He will become an ally of the Taliban as soon as we leave-in order to keep his head a fortune- and it will be like Sept 10, 2001 all over again-like we were never there-except for the fact they are now better armed more technology and many are rich beyond imagination with US taxpayer money!
It makes me sick that our boys and girls are DYING to keep this turd head criminal in power. He will turn on the USA as soon as it becomes convenient. Iraq and Afghan display our foreign policy at its very worst.
Get out and make business contracts with the winners- going to end up that way anyway. Look at Viet Nam.
Unless the US is primarily interested in what has allegedly been described as HUGE precious metal stockpiles, I can't think of a single valid reason for maintaining any kind of troop presence in Afghanistan when all of the key targets have already eluded capture.
Asian countries, notably Japan and China, have already been granted favored status in regards to any and all resource exploitation in Afghanistan. Let their people spill their blood. Bring our people home.
Sono - ...yes, and huge stockpiles of the precious gem Lapis Lazuli ... and OIL ---- the oil pipeline that is supposed to run through Afghanistan!
Apparently, everyone wants to get their hands on that, including the Chinese.
Agreed 100%. At this point it kind of feels like we're not going to have anything to show for the time and money that has been wasted on that country.
Regarding the proposed oil line, I have to assume that it will constantly be under attack similar to what you typically see in a certain African nations like Nigeria where the pipelines are basically rendered worthless any time the local inhabitants are angry at the government for something. The line has to start from Turkmenistan, run through Afghanistan & Pakistan and eventually wind up in India. Honestly, good luck to whoever is expecting that oil flow to be even remotely continues given all of the 'istans' it has to run through...
Well, Mr. Karzai could become a great candidate to run for office in the U.S. It seems he has learned how to scathe $$$ from the system. Doesn't matter from whom he or his government officials took the money....IT IS WRONG and those who gave money to him or his cohorts in crime should be prosecuted. Hmmmmm, I wonder from whom he received money from the U.S.
Maybe he could obtain a U.S. passport, purchase a home in Illinois, Maine, Alabama, Louisana, or Florida and run for political office. He would fit right in.
he has a US passport, so does his older brother. Karzi was CIA just as Saddam, Noriega and the Shaw of Iran.
We can really pick some winners to do our dirty work
Let's get the hell out of his frickin country and let someone else's blood pay for the corruption.
When I commented earlier, I was a bit flip about Hamid's arrogance. Actually, I'm fairly dismayed at all of the players in this heartbreaking saga----heartbreaking for our warriors and their loved ones. Apparently, not one politician in this country really cares about the hideous economy or the American people who have and will continue to foot the bill for this quite self-aggrandizing despot.
Karzai has really 'cut to the mustard' on this one, unlike our government politicians who keep spouting the 'freedom mantra' and avoiding at all costs, the real reason for being in Afghanistan! It's rather odd and maybe just a bit of payback is at work here. Karzai has his own brand of "WikiLeaks' going on and could be well be Assange's twin!
Yes, heart-breaking for us all.
H R Clinton just announced that even though the Leahy Amendment strictly prohibits funding of any unit that commits gross violations of human rights, The U S is giving Pakistan $2,000,000. for "the troops". they are to not include those units that are committing the violations in the "gift". Yeah right. I doubt if ANY of the money will help with the war against Afghanistan anyway. Karzai, his family and cohorts are crooks. It is just another ploy to line his pockets. He is obviously taking money from any one who will give it. And do you really think that when it comes down to brass tacks that they will support the US over Iran? Of course not. They already are one of the biggest contributors to the "extremists" terrorism facing our world. Clinton and Obama just need to close the purse and get the h$ll out of Pakistan.
Sorry I put the wrong amount down, I forgot three zeros. $2,000,000.00. (2 billion) not $2,000,000.(2 million)
yeah, "lets not make it an issue"
what a sleazy criminal
How this is surprise to anyone is beyond me....remember the Sunni awakening in Iraq?...what do you think woke them up? Millions of tax payer dollars given to people responsible for the deaths and maming of thousands of American servicemen and women so they would come to the table. Saddam Hussein...Noriega/Panama...The Contras...Shah of Iran...And of corse the Taliban before 9/11 (oil/Gas contracts)....shall I go on?....We need to stop making deals with the devil....we should stop listening to the generals, neocons, and warhawks and get out...
What do you expect from a government run by a closet Muslim, of course Obama is giving them bags full of cash. It is not like any of it is his? He has never had a job until the morons put him into this office.
I am no fan of Obama but your ignoance is showing. Educate yourself! This is how it's done. How do you think our fine soldiers set up camp, cross bridges, road blocks and are able to halfway survive in the lawless regions of these countries...CASH. Paid to tribal leaders, some members of the taliban and those at the top. These countries do not operate anything like us!
Whatever let them figure out how to get out of the mess their in CUT off all funding
Your right Mr Karzi it's no longer an issue we have cut off your bags of money from the US, We are sure Iran will take good care of you.
Yes @!$%#bag, give us the detail's. What rubbish.
I want this to be over. Pull every American out, and send in the BIG fire cracker's.
I agree, nuke them all and let god sort them out later!!
And then the world will know peace!!
The US needs to get it right, instead of bags of cash to Karzai, we need to recognize him as a douche bag and supply him vinegar and water.
This little circle of cash from the US and Iran, could prove that the US is funding our own enemy, so as we spend to have troops in Afghanistan, we are also paying for the enemy to kill our troops.
When will our President get back to work and off the campaign trail for his dying democrats? It's time to serve the nation, not just one political party, Barry!!!! You are a joke of a President and have shamed the office you sit in.
The wealthy always sell weapons to both sides, twice the profit!!
The Bush administration certainly opened a hornets nest by starting a war on terrorism.
Billions of dollars in debt, thousands of American and coalition forces lives lost, tens of thousands innocent civilians murdered and still we continue.
(Texana Deb, think you need more zeros)
Admitting failure will, at some point, be required by the party in power.
Prolonging the agony just prolongs the misery.
I was born in Soviet Union I remember the stupidity of Afghan war. The history should teach American politicians, but they didn't pay attention to it.
Between December 1979 and February 1989 about 15,000 Soviet soldiers were killed, and about 35,000 were wounded. About 1 million Afghans were killed. The anti-Communist Afghan forces had support from many countries, mainly the United States and Pakistan.
Take your kids out of there, make Karzai to feel like its an issue.
NOTHING, ZERO, ZIP, NADDA should be given to any foreign country any longer with out a VOTE OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. We have American Citizens in real need right here in the USA and we hand out $2 bil. like it was toilet paper. These countries don't respect us and it just goes to somebody's pocket. WDC is supposed to be the American center of American Leadership ... what the hell has happened to us ?
The US spends more on weapons technology than the rest of the world combined, but when it comes to fighting a war, we still send our brave young boys to shoot it out with the enemy. We should leave afghanistan immediatly and blanket the sky with predator drones. Let every phony mullah spend the rest of his short life looking up and waiting for his ticket to the seventy two virgins.
NO!!! Let's do make this an "issue" you MORON. It is OUR men who are dying over there, and OUR money we are using to do it, to keep your STUPID a$$ in power. Want to take money from Iran? Then give it to us for saving your STUPID country from the terrorists. We should nuke the entire region and be done with ALL 'em.
It is time for us to move out and let Karzai do what they want. After all, Iran, Afghanistan and all the middle eastern countries are all Americans haters. What they want from us is our soldiers be killed and most important, our money!
David Cal, Jim, Peter, Texana Deb, Noelle, all on the same page. Karzai is a crooked pig and it's past time for us to leave. But we need to make sure that the Karzai clan suffers from terminal lead poisoning on the way out.
That place was a fifth world s*^%hole when we went in. We should have leveled it. And the "tribal areas" of Pakistan for good measure. That's the part that is giving the rest of Pakistan all the grief. It's a lot easier to ask for forgiveness than beg permission.
But we DO need to get this over. We have another battle coming soon, on our Southern border.
Karzai learned from the best. He was put in power by the Bush/Cheney. Their legacy will haunt us for decades. God protect us from the big business GOP!
I am an Afghan, but have been raised for most of my life here in the states. I love and truly backup the United States of America. Except some of these thugs in power now we backed them up too... so in some ways we as USA aren't totally innocent. ( The government I'd say )
Even though I am an Democrat, I have to say sometimes like President Bush would say...deal with thugs in the thuggish manner. If you check the history in the past 20 years so many criminals have become VERY rich in Afghanistan. President Karzai and his advisors are all richer with our tax dollars. They are all thieves if you ask me. Most of Karzai's relative's are ALL rich now ..hmmm wonder how...and I happen to know a few of them...they are a BIG clan I tell you. Sad part is these people always throw religion in...muslim this muslim that, when really it is all about the GREEN ...MONEY.
See the reason the people are all so scared of the Taliban is because they are RUTHLESS. They execute right out in public...they'll put you in jail or wipe out your family just because they can.
So, if I were the USA I would threaten with a Nuclear weapon just once... and if you dropped one between Pakistan (crooks = mostly taliban from pakistan) and Afghanistan border... to show the muscle of USA I think people will change their minds about messing around with USA.
Okay true most of you will say no, no that will kill many innocent people, many innocent are dying daily. I believe almost 1 million Afghans died in Russian war. So, I know many are dying in the war today. I say you kill the good and the bad in one shot at about 100k people you think? I think that will make the taliban=pakistan think twice about starting anything up again. with the Americans. We are called a super power for a reason.
Finally then I am hoping the Afghan people will see some piece. Sad to say you always love where you are from, but I think you are out of options here. I don't want to see any innocent people die either (regardless where you are from)
You do realize you complained about the Taliban's ruthlessness against civilians, yet support the same mentality through the use of nukes, right?
Do a search on "Bikini Island", piece is not what they will get.
It is already there, there are 60k people reported having these warts popping up all over their faces. It is because of the chemicals being used in the bombs. So, with all the bombs being dropped now the air in the area is already bad. There are many babies being born with birth defects...it is all because of the war over the years. So, with all this happening, and I don't think it will stop without something like a nuclear weapon.
apparently karzi responce shows that they are corrupt a lil nervous itch id say!!!!
to get so protective of such a question shows panic in him for being caught
does anyone in afghanistan give us a tally on what any of the money they require goes to
i dought it
the united states is in it for afghanistans natural resorces only and you know its true
but the problem is china and japan will get first servings
so let china and japan put on the bullet proof vests and enter the war
they soon will be anyway when iran tries to put their dirty mitts on to claim the resorces and china will not let that happen
guarenteed
keith biodrowski