BILLIONS $$$ TO THE TALIBAN
The Biden regime’s humanitarian aid to Afghanistan appears to be ending up in the hands of the Taliban. During a recent House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee hearing, Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.) lambasted the poorly overseen State Department expenditure.
The Biden regime, Mast observes, has “sent more than $2.8 billion to Afghanistan since the Taliban took power in August of 2021.” A federal inspector general’s report shows “tens of millions of dollars of that money going directly into the hands of the Taliban.”
“It is unacceptable for any U.S. funding to benefit the Taliban,” agreed Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, demanding Biden “take immediate action to prevent U.S. taxpayer dollars from going to the Taliban.”
McCaul cited findings from the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) showing that the Taliban had indirectly received at least $10.9 million from U.S. taxpayers. However, SIGAR warns this is likely only a fraction of the Taliban’s indirect U.S. taxpayer funding through taxes, fees, and other means.
Mast also criticized the State Department for a $500,000 grant to “promote atheism in Nepal,” which is predominantly Hindu, raising a broader problem of reckless federal spending.
Waste also plagues U.S. aid to Ukraine. U.S. taxpayers are not only providing and paying for weapons for Volodymyr Zelensky’s forces but also paying the salaries of Ukrainian government workers, subsidizing Ukrainian businesses, and purchasing supplies for Ukrainian farmers.
U.S. investigative journalist Seymour Hersh estimates Zelensky, his government ministers, and commanders have embezzled “at least” $400 million in U.S. aid in 2022 alone.
