– maybe it’s the choice of the U.S. government, but it isn’t the choice of U.S. tax-payers.

blackwell575
7:15 AM PDT

...........the CIA will continue dropping off stacks of cash at Karzai’s office. The money an easy source of petty cash is then used to pay off warlords, political elites and other power brokers. While there is a tacit acknowledgement that the Karzai government is rampant with corruption from top to bottom the CIA will still continue to funnel money into the slush fund. Meanwhile the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is warning of a potential severe budget shortfall in Afghanistan because of increasing corruption, increasing theft of public money, and officially abetted tax evasion. In Afghanistan the political elite includes many people commonly described as warlords, numerous people with ties to the Opium trade and to organized crime, along with other senior government officials. When questioned about the CIA provided slush fund Karzai quipped – “This is cash. It is the choice of the U.S. government.” To that Karzai flippant remark most Americans might reply – maybe it’s the choice of the U.S. government, but it isn’t the choice of U.S. tax-payers.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/05/05/sunday-open-thread-23/
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/cia-money-easy-source-of-petty-cash-will-continue/1111566/