Blinken pressured to freeze Afghanistan aid after revelation nearly $300M could have gone to Taliban
FIRST ON FOX: Secretary of State Antony Blinken is being called on to freeze aid to Afghanistan following revelations that the assistance could be going to the Taliban.
A recent report from the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), a government entity conducting oversight of U.S. aid to the country, determined that two of five bureaus within the Department of State (DOS) couldn't prove their compliance with counterterrorism vetting.
"Collectively, State could not demonstrate their compliance with its partner vetting requirements on awards that disbursed at least $293 million in Afghanistan," the report stated.
Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., said the reported oversight was "deeply alarming" in a letter to Blinken and urged him to stop Afghanistan aid until the issue is addressed.
The failure of the DOS to fully comply with counterterrorism vetting standards "has strengthened and enriched the Taliban and its terrorist affiliates," he said. "Further, when funds that are intended for humanitarian and development purposes end up supporting groups that perpetuate violence and instability, U.S. national security interests in the region are significantly undermined."
"It is imperative that State take immediate remedial and comprehensive action to rectify these issues to prevent similar occurrences in the future," wrote Braun.
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Further, SIGAR found that $10.9 million in U.S. taxpayer money was paid to the Taliban-controlled government by 38 of the U.S.'s 65 implementing partners. However, the report said the amount was "likely only a fraction of the total amount of U.S. assistance funds provided to the Taliban in taxes, fees, duties, and utilities because UN agencies receiving U.S. funds did not collect data or provide relevant information about their subawardees’ payments."
In his letter, Braun questioned Blinken over what measures were "being taken against those individuals responsible for the failure to comply with vetting requirements and documentation retention" and asked for a description of what improvements would be made to its "documentation and record-keeping practices to avoid lapses."
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The U.S. has been the largest international contributor of support to Afghans after their government collapsed, allowing the Taliban to take power following the disastrous withdrawal of American troops in August 2021 under President Biden.
According to SIGAR, more than $2.8 billion has been provided by the U.S. in both humanitarian and development aid to the country since the withdrawal.
DOS did not provide comment to Fox News Digital in time for publication.