And this is the same Hamid Karzai who wants to reconcile with the Taliban — the same Taliban that is also receiving Iranian support. What a coincidence!
This news only underscores the futility of the American project in Afghanistan, which we have explained here for years. “Karzai admits receiving ‘bags of money’ from Iran,” from AFP, October 25 (thanks to Maxwell):
KABUL (AFP) – Afghan president Hamid Karzai admitted Monday that his chief of staff had received “bags of money” from Iran but insisted the payment was transparent and a form of aid from a friendly country.
Cash payments “are done by various friendly countries to help the presidential office and to help the expenses…” said Karzai at a press conference in Kabul.
The New York Times reported Saturday that Karzai’s chief of staff, Umar Daudzai, has been receiving regular cash payments from Iran, which is trying to expand its influence in the presidential palace in Kabul.
“The government of Iran has been assisting us with five or six or seven hundred thousand euros once or twice every year, that is an official aid,” said Karzai….
The newspaper, citing unnamed Afghan officials, said the payments total millions of dollars and go into a secret fund that Daudzai and Karzai have used to pay Afghan lawmakers, tribal elders and even Taliban commanders to secure their loyalty.
“It’s basically a presidential slush fund,” one Western official is quoted by the paper as saying. “Daudzai’s mission is to advance Iranian interests.”…
And the surrender is complete:
The senior US envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke, said last week that Iran had “a role” to play in Afghanistan and welcomed the Islamic republic’s participation in international talks on the situation there held in Rome.