Republicans upset that some of the $2.8B Afghan aid went to Taliban
House Republicans are expressing their outrage at the Biden administration following reports that significant amounts of U.S. humanitarian aid intended for Afghanistan may have fallen into the hands of the Taliban.
During a recent House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee hearing, Rep. Brian Mast, a Republican from Florida, began his remarks by highlighting various State Department expenditures that he found questionable in terms of oversight and expenditure.
Mast specifically pointed out the allocation of $2.8 billion in humanitarian aid to Afghanistan in the aftermath of the tumultuous 2021 withdrawal, which resulted in the loss of over a dozen American service members and the Taliban reclaiming control of the Kabul government.
In addition to criticizing the State Department for a $500,000 grant that he described as supporting atheism promotion in Nepal, Mast focused on the reported misuse of billions of dollars sent by the U.S. to assist Afghan civilians in the wake of the country’s destabilization.
One of Mast’s main concerns was the revelation that tens of millions of dollars from the $2.8 billion allocated to Afghanistan ended up in the hands of the Taliban after their resurgence in August 2021.
In May, Rep. Michael McCaul, the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee from Texas, released a statement regarding the findings of a federal inspector general, indicating that at least $10.9 million in U.S. taxpayer funds indirectly benefited the Taliban.
McCaul emphasized the unacceptable nature of U.S. funds inadvertently supporting the Taliban and called on the Biden administration to take immediate action to prevent such occurrences, commending the work of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR).
Established in 2008, SIGAR’s recent report revealed that the $10.9 million provided by State Department entities and other partners was likely only a fraction of the total amount that the Taliban received through various means like taxes, fees, and utilities.
Mast characterized the mishandling of Afghanistan-related funding alongside other instances as a stark representation of putting ‘America Last’ in terms of priorities on the global stage amid competition with nations like China, Russia, and Iran.
Previously, the State Department refuted claims suggesting a promotion of atheism in the Himalayas, as highlighted by Mast’s reference to the issue.
Deputy Secretary of State Richard Verma addressed the grant in question during testimony before Congress, clarifying that promoting atheism was not the intended purpose of the grant and the work associated with it.
