Afghanistan Special: Who is Trying to Undermine Possible US-Iran Co-operation?
Monday, October 25, 2010 at 9:08 | Scott Lucas in Afghanistan, EA Afghanistan-Pakistan, EA Iran, Middle East and Iran 
UPDATE 0940 GMT: President Hamid Karzai has acknowledged that his office has received cash from Iran, but insists it is a "transparent" process. Karzai said he money was not for an individual but to help run the Presidential office.
Karzai added that many countries, including the US, had given similar assistance.
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The Obama Administration has long been divided over whether to pursue a "grand settlement" with Tehran on regional issues as well as the nuclear question or to ostracise Iran (or even doing elements of both at the same time). On this occasion, it just so happens that this bureaucratic saga intersects with the mysteries of internal Afghan politics.
If the narrative of "peace talks" continues, this collision will be ongoing. That, rather than the anonymously-spun tale "Iran is Said to Give Top Karzai Aide Cash by The Bagful" in The New York Times, is the real story here.