Karzai Confesses To Taking Money From Iran

Afghan President Hamid Karzai confirmed Monday that his chief of staff has taken millions from neighboring Iran to help pay “presidential expenses,” the New York Times reports.

After the Times ran a story on Saturday describing how Iran’s ambassador to Afghanistan had paid Karzai’s administration to secure Iranian interests, Karzai held a press conference today to acknowledge the truth behind the report.

“[Iranians] have asked for good relations in return, and for lots of other things in return, and we have also asked for lots of things in return in this relationship,” Karzai said.  “This is a relationship between neighbors, and it will go on and we will continue to ask for cash help from Iran.”

Karzai said the payments from Iran have totaled roughly $1 million biannually.

Though the report rings a familiar tone of corruption within Karzai’s administration, the Afghan leader trumpeted the transparency of the payments, alleging that the U.S. government has been aware of them for some time.

“This is something that I’ve even discussed while I was at Camp David with President Bush,” Karzai said. He later said that he had also received cash from the U.S.

The original article that appeared over the weekend in the Times asserted that some of the Iranian funds had been distributed to Taliban leaders in exchange for their loyalty.