CIA Cash to Karzai Said to Fit Afghan Patronage System
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Afghan President Hamid Karzai won’t be hurt by revelations that the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency has funneled millions of dollars to his office because such dealings are expected in a society steeped in patronage, according to two former CIA officers.
The agency regularly delivered tens of millions of dollars over a decade to Karzai’s office in suitcases, backpacks and shopping bags, according to a New York Times report that cited current and former advisers to the Afghan president.