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

New York Times ^ | 10-27-09 | DEXTER FILKINS, MARK MAZZETTI and JAMES RISEN

[Dementio]

KABUL, Afghanistan — 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. The financial ties and close working relationship between the intelligence agency and Mr. Karzai raise significant questions about America’s war strategy, which is currently under review at the White House.

[spyone]

he’s also an opium drugrunner.

[Wally_Kalbacken]

I suspect in an anarchic place like Afghanistan - perhaps this is to be expected. But I find the timing of this hitting the press to be very interesting (to quote Artie Johnson). If stuff like this litters the press in the next few weeks it would tell me that the Obama administration is softening the landing for a withdrawal.

[onedoug]

There’s still a CIA under this buma?

[tsomer]

But I find the timing of this hitting the press to be very interesting

Ditto.

Opium has always been a major export crop for Afghans.

It flourished under the Taliban, and will continue if and when they return to power.

What's despicable is the Times once again marking this man for death.

[Wally_Kalbacken]

I’m thinking they are just facilitating the impression that it’s a lost cause, that all is chaos there and that will make Obama’s decision to leave go down more smoothly. Or so the Times and Obama’s staff think.

[steel_resolve]

This could be a public effort to discredit Karzai’s brother, someone everyone agrees is up to his neck in corruption.

[PaleoBob]

He has a lotta friends in Washington, I know that to be a fact.

[AHerald]

This reeks. Part of Obama's campaign to undermine Karzai, I'd bet. Karzai's getting a lesson in the Chicago Way. National security secrets are simply another political weapon for Obama to wield.