Washington Reacts to Karzai's Comments on Iran's Cash Aid

The US is concerned over the recent comments of the Afghan president Hamid Karzai about Iran's cash aid to Afghanistan, US official said

The White House and the State Department have urged the Afghan government to explain about the cash it has received from the Iranian government.

The United States is worried about the negative influence of Iran in Afghanistan, Bill Burton, a spokesman for the White House, said.

The United States is not worried about the way the money is paid to Afghanistan, but it is concerned about why and where the money is paid and spent, Phillip Crowley, a spokesman for the State Department said on Monday at a press conference in Washington.

"I just mentioned that we have concerns about the broader issue of what role Iran hopes to play in Afghanistan. We recognise that Iran is going to have a relationship with Afghanistan but we are sceptical based on their track record." Crowley said

The Afghan president Hamid Karzai said at a press conference on Monday that Iran has donated up to 600,000 Euros to the presidential palace, but the Iranian embassy in Kabul in a statement has already denied any cash donations to the presidential palace to increase Iran's influence.

President Karzai said Iran has been assisting the Afghan government since the beginning of the interim administration and claimed it to be transparent.

"Iran assists the Office one or two times every year with euro cash and this is a formal aid and Mr Daud Zai receives it on my instructions, and I am really grateful to Iran government," Karzai added.