Thread: Brother of Afghan Leader Is Said to Be on C.I.A. Payroll

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/28/wo...l.html?_r=1&hp

Ahmed Wali Karzai, the brother of the Afghan president and a suspected player in the country’s booming illegal opium trade, gets regular payments from the Central Intelligence Agency, and has for much of the past eight years, according to current and former American officials.

The agency pays Mr. Karzai for a variety of services, including helping to recruit an Afghan paramilitary force that operates at the C.I.A.’s direction in and around the southern city of Kandahar, Mr. Karzai’s home.
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The C.I.A.’s practices also suggest that the United States is not doing everything in its power to stamp out the lucrative Afghan drug trade, a major source of revenue for the Taliban.
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The relationship between Mr. Karzai and the C.I.A. is wide ranging, several American officials said. He helps the C.I.A. operate a paramilitary group, the Kandahar Strike Force, that is used for raids against suspected insurgents and terrorists. On at least one occasion, the strike force has been accused of mounting an unauthorized operation against an official of the Afghan government, the officials said.
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A former C.I.A. officer with experience in Afghanistan said the agency relied heavily on Ahmed Wali Karzai, and often based covert operatives at compounds he owned. Any connections Mr. Karzai might have had to the drug trade mattered little to C.I.A. officers focused on counterterrorism missions, the officer said.

“Virtually every significant Afghan figure has had brushes with the drug trade,� he said. “If you are looking for Mother Teresa, she doesn’t live in Afghanistan.�
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Counternarcotics officials have repeatedly expressed frustration over the unwillingness of senior policy makers in Washington to take action against Mr. Karzai — or even begin a serious investigation of the allegations against him. In fact, they say that while other Afghans accused of drug involvement are investigated and singled out for raids or even rendition to the United States, Mr. Karzai has seemed immune from similar scrutiny.
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The former Interior Ministry official said that Mr. Karzai was able to charge huge fees to drug traffickers to allow their drug-laden trucks to cross the bridges.
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Some American counternarcotics officials have said they believe that Mr. Karzai has expanded his influence over the drug trade, thanks in part to American efforts to single out other drug lords.

Fight in Afghanistan, die there, blame soldiers like mr.Glenton but for what? To allow the CIA agent to extract millions from drug trade?

Just like Viet Nam,Laos,Cambodia, history repeats itself

Wasn't something like this the reason why we said 'Fcuk that!' to getting involved in Vietnam?

In American parlance, this is all going to be one gigantic clusterf*ck.

Be fair. The CIA employed Castro's sister as well.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8327163.stm

She chose to work for the hated Uncle Sam because she thought her brother had betrayed the very Revolution he had brought about.

I don't know the gentleman, but perhaps Mr Karzai's brother is equally idealistic, but also not averse to picking up a paypacket for his services.

I'm not bigoted enough to say that an Afghan can't be as idealistic as a disgruntled Cuban communist.

Or he could just be another corrupt third world politician. And that means he's probably and equal opportunities crook,willing to take cash from all sides, including the Russians. Best not get too moralistic about this. We might find that we've bribed him as well.