President Ashraf Ghani, center, with former President Hamid Karzai, left, whose government received monthly C.I.A. payments. Credit Omar Sobhani/Reuters
New York Times: C.I.A. Cash Ended Up in Coffers of Al Qaeda
WASHINGTON — In the spring of 2010, Afghan officials struck a deal to free an Afghan diplomat held hostage by Al Qaeda. But the price was steep — $5 million — and senior security officials were scrambling to come up with the money.
They first turned to a secret fund that the Central Intelligence Agency bankrolled with monthly cash deliveries to the presidential palace in Kabul, according to several Afghan officials involved in the episode. The Afghan government, they said, had already squirreled away about $1 million from that fund.
Within weeks, that money and $4 million more provided from other countries was handed over to Al Qaeda, replenishing its coffers after a relentless C.I.A. campaign of drone strikes in Pakistan had decimated the militant network’s upper ranks.
More News On How CIA Money Ended Up In the Coffers Of Al Qaeda
Afghanistan gave CIA money to al Qaeda for diplomat's ransom: NYT -- Reuters
Afghanistan gave CIA money to Al-Qaeda to free diplomat: report -- AFP
Report: CIA money was given to al Qaeda -- CBS
Al Qaeda got $1million in secret CIA money after Afghan government used cash from fund to pay kidnapped diplomat's ransom -- Daily Mail
Secret CIA payments to Afghan officials used to free diplomat held hostage by Al Qaeda, funded group's weapons stockpile: report -- New York Daily News
'New York Times': CIA paid ransom to al-Qaeda -- USA Today
Afghanistan govt. took $1M from the CIA and used it for al Qaeda ransom: report -- Washington Times
Declassified Documents: CIA Helped Fund al Qaeda via Afghan Government -- Sputnik
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