Senator asks Obama about cash payment to Karzai

Arguing that alleged secret payments made to Afghan President Hamid Karzai by the CIA not only lacks accountability but also encourages corruption, a top US Senator has sought an explanation from President Barack Obama on reports in this regard.

Karzai has already acknowledged having received such payments from CIA, but neither the agency nor the White House have commented on it till now.

"These secret payments lack any kind of accountability, encourage the very kind of corruption we're trying to prevent in Afghanistan, and further undermine US taxpayers' confidence in our government," Senator Bob Corker said in a letter sent to Obama yesterday.

"Our assistance to Afghanistan should have long since evolved to a carefully coordinated, fully transparent effort across federal agencies with appropriate congressional oversight to ensure US aid meets our national interests," Corker said.

Ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Corker said this is his second letter to Obama, but has not received any response from the White House yet.