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.“These assistances were very productive and we thank them.”
The statement relayed comments that Karzai made at a press conference in Finland in response to The New York Times article.

There appeared to be no oversight of the secret CIA money, which was aimed at gaining influence by paying off warlords and politicians including some linked to the drug trade and even the Taliban, the Times reported.

The newspaper, citing anonymous officials, said the CIA money had fueled corruption and funded warlords as the US tries to secure stability in Afghanistan before international troops pull out next year.

“The biggest source of corruption in Afghanistan was the United States,” one American official was quoted as saying.
Khalil Roman, who served as Karzai’s deputy chief of staff from 2002-2005, told the Times that the cash — which sometimes arrived at the president’s office in plastic shopping bags — was known as “ghost money”.