KABUL — The presidential office issued a statement Saturday condemning U.S. media reports that Afghan officials have received payments from the CIA in return for information.
A statement called the reports part of an attempt to divert attention from the greater priorities of fighting terrorism, preventing civilian casualties and disbanding private security companies blamed for lawlessness and corruption.
“Afghanistan believes that making such allegations will not strengthen the alliance against terrorism and will not strengthen an Afghanistan based on the law and rules, but will have negative effects in those areas,” the statement said.
Allegations of CIA payments to members of the Afghan government have raised concerns at a time when the United States is pressing Afghan officials to make the government less corrupt.
The New York Times reported the agency had been paying Mohammed Zia Salehi, the chief of administration for Afghanistan’s National Security Council, who was arrested last month as part of an investigation into corruption. The Washington Post reported the CIA was making payments to a large number of officials in President Hamid Karzai’s administration. The Associated Press
