KABUL: Afghan government officials on Friday hit back at "stupid" allegations made in leaked US diplomatic cables about corruption but refused to comment on a damning assessment of President Hamid Karzai.
Deputy presidential spokesman Hamed Elmi downplayed documents released by Internet whistleblower WikiLeaks as "not much new," with "nothing substantive to negatively affect our good relations with the international community."
In one cable, US envoy Karl Eikenberry portrayed Karzai as "paranoid and weak," "unfamiliar with the basics of nation building" and "overly self-conscious" that his time of glowing reviews from the West had passed.
The Afghan presidency declined to comment those allegations. Deputy spokesman Simak Hirawi said Karzai would hold a news conference on Saturday "to answer journalists’ questions."
One cable said that Ahmad Zia Massoud — a first vice president until last year — was caught entering the United Arab Emirates with 52 million dollars.
Another presidential aide told AFP: "This is a stupid allegation. Can you believe someone could take 52 million dollars and transfer it in a plane to another country? Can you believe it is possible?"
Washington has made no secret of its frustrations with corruption in Afghanistan, where 140,000 US-led NATO troops are fighting against a nine-year Taliban insurgency now in its deadliest phase.
Elmi said Kabul had stepped up its fight against corruption and branded details in the leaks as "from years ago."
