(ConservativeHub.com) – On April 19, the US’s Afghanistan watchdog told Congressmembers that there was no way to ensure that American aid sent to Kabul is not being used to fund the Taliban.
According to The Hill, Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) John Sopko in his remarks to the House Oversight Committee noted that while the general consensus is that Afghanistan is currently in “dire” straits from both a humanitarian and economic perspective, it is important that the assistance they provide is not funneled to the Taliban. He added that he cannot guarantee that none of the money being sent to Afghanistan is being used to fund the Taliban.
He continued on to say that he can also not guarantee that the Taliban are not using the money being sent to help the Afghan people for other purposes.
SIGAR is an independent watchdog that’s been keeping an eye on US spending in Afghanistan for around 15 years. It currently monitors over $8 billion which has been sent to Afghanistan as aid following the the US’s withdrawal back in mid-2021. The Hill reports that because the US doesn’t have any official relations with the Taliban, the government has been trying to send aid money to Afghanistan through international organizations and groups that are not affiliated with the Taliban.
However, there is no real way to ensure that all the money sent for humanitarian aid is being used for its intended purposes.
During his remarks to the Oversight Committee, Sopko mentioned the newly released SIGAR’s 2023 High-Risk List report. The report points out many of the issues and problems that surround the massive funds allocated by the U.S. to the citizens of Afghanistan. These involve the lack of oversight control and the possibility of Taliban interference.
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