KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - Amid suspicion he is the CIA's man in Kandahar, Ahmed Wali Karzai has taken to branding himself as a one-stop shop for ethical intelligence and development in the volatile province, hinting that even Canadians may be among his clients.
Since it was reported last week that he may be receiving payments from the CIA, President Hamid Karzai's younger brother has turned indignant.
The allegation was contained in a New York Times article that also raised the spectre of drug trafficking, vote rigging and running a proxy paramilitary force.
But Karzai says they got it all wrong; he's an Afghan patriot who can't get no respect.
"I work with anyone working in Afghanistan, especially people who have been in Kandahar since 2001," he told The Canadian Press.
"My co-operation benefits everyone. If this makes me a CIA (agent), fine."
Karzai has headed Kandahar's provincial council since he was elected in 2005, giving him a political legitimacy that complements a sizable network of Pashtun tribes loyal to his family.
He serves as his brother's political fixer in southern Afghanistan, was a key manager of his election campaign and is arguably the most powerful man in Kandahar.
If his position makes him a way-station of information, he says he feels compelled to ensure it ends up in the right hands.
"I pass intelligence to everyone, even our intelligence service," he said
"If I see something's wrong, I pass the information on. I have to pass it to someone."
Karzai claims to have in the past passed information to Canadian officials about the location of IEDs.
He says only last week he told Afghan intelligence officials of a shipment of some 300 rockets headed to Taliban commanders in Panjwaii from Helmand province.
"Did I do a bad thing or a good thing?" he asks.
There are those who venture Karzai has done plenty of bad things in recent years. American officials have long suspected he benefits from Afghanistan's lucrative opium trade, though those allegations have never been proved.
According to the New York Times, he is also suspected of playing a role in creating the "ghost" polling stations where much of the ballot stuffing in the first round of Afghanistan's presidential election took place.
An inquiry by a UN-backed panel tossed out more than a million votes for President Karzai due to fraud.
Ahmed Wali Karzai views the latest allegations as part of a continuing smear campaign being waged by political opponents.
But they are enough to encourage Canada's civilian and military officials in Kandahar to limit their interaction with "AWK."
"We try to deal with him only through his role on the provincial council," said a senior civilian official.
Ahmed and Hamid are among the eight sons of Abdul Ahad Karzai, a respected Pashtun elder loyal to the last king of Afghanistan, Zahir Shah. They are the only two who didn't emigrate to the U.S. and maintain a close relationship with each other.
Before Hamid took his now mythical motorcycle ride from Quetta into Afghanistan to lead the rebellion against the Taliban in 2001, he dispatched Ahmed to secure funds.
After Sept. 11, 2001, Afghanistan and the Afghan diaspora suddenly became awash in CIA money as the White House sought to topple the Taliban and hunt al-Qaida using local proxies.
Kandahar eventually fell from Taliban control thanks to the CIA's support of warlord Gul Agha Sherzai.
"The day we entered Kandahar (in 2001) we were with the Americans," Karzai said.
Among their first stops was the compound used by Taliban leader Mullah Omar. The New York Times alleged the CIA now pays Karzai to stage covert operation from the compound, where it says the agency also funds a paramilitary unit known as the Kandahar Strike Force.
"The Special Forces stayed there (Omar's compound). Yes, I had some forces there too... everyone is there... But I have nothing to do with the strike force," Karzai said.
Since 2003 the CIA has faced repeated criticism for its role in Afghanistan, a debate which has been re-ignited by its alleged payments to Karzai.
Many question whether its policy of supporting warlords and paramilitaries in its quest for terrorists is counter-productive to the country's stability.
Karzai adamantly denies receiving any money from the CIA, or any other foreign institution for that matter. He considers himself a benefactor for the province, working to raise funds for infrastructure and charitable projects.
"I provide free help and support," he said. "If they don't appreciate it, I don't care."
But his position in the province, and his ties to his brother, make him difficult to avoid for anyone with significant interests in Kandahar. And Karzai is keenly aware of the political capital he holds.
"If I formed my own intelligence agency, I would be the biggest in the region."
