Fox News reported that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has been urged to halt U.S. aid to Afghanistan.
According to the media outlet, this request comes after the revelation that nearly $300 million in U.S. aid might have ended up in the hands of the Taliban.
Previously, the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) reported that two offices within the State Department failed to account for $293 million in U.S. aid to Afghanistan.
Two days ago, U.S. Senator Mike Braun, in a letter to Blinken, described this report as “profoundly alarming” and urged him to suspend U.S. aid to Afghanistan until the issue is resolved.
Senator Braun added that the State Department’s failure to adhere to anti-terrorism inspection standards has “strengthened the Taliban and other terrorist groups.”
He also emphasized that when funds intended for humanitarian and development purposes end up supporting terrorism and perpetuating violence and instability, it undermines U.S. national security.
The Republican senator requested in his letter that the Secretary of State implement corrective measures to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
This call to halt U.S. aid to Afghanistan comes as SIGAR noted in another report that the U.S. has provided approximately $21 billion in aid to Afghanistan over the past three years.
SIGAR stated that these funds have been spent on humanitarian, development, and infrastructure projects, the relocation and resettlement of refugees from Afghanistan to the U.S., and the repayment of Afghan currency reserves.
The ongoing concerns about U.S. aid to Afghanistan highlight significant issues in accountability and oversight, particularly with the risk of funds being misused or diverted to support terrorism.
The calls for halting aid underscore the necessity for stringent measures to ensure that humanitarian and development assistance achieves its intended goals without compromising security or stability.
Implementing robust oversight mechanisms will be crucial in safeguarding both U.S. interests and the intended beneficiaries in Afghanistan.
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