It seems as if millions of dollars in U.S. aid to Afghanistan has been intercepted by the Taliban.
Yes, the U.S. has been pumping hard-earned taxpayer money into various initiatives intended to promote and rebuild local Afghan businesses.
Unfortunately, some of the cash was funneled to the Taliban, at least according to “seemingly definitive evidence.”
Indeed, according to a Pentagon report cited by the WaPo, four out of eight trucking contractors who received American aid showed “documented, credible evidence…of involvement in a criminal enterprise or support for the enemy.”
The report further cited six of the eight contractors as having “fraudulent paperwork and behavior.”
Although the WaPo did not indicate exactly how much of the funds actually went to the Taliban, it’s safe to assume the number is quite substantial.
According to one incident cited in the Pentagon report, $3.3 million of a $7.4 million aid payment sent to a trucking contractor ultimately ended up in the hands of an Afghan National Police commander who sent it to the Taliban to buy explosives and weapons.
The news comes as a blow to the U.S. government as it rerecently extended the trucking contracts for another six months in March.
A senior U.S. official told The Post of the government’s plans to redefine security procedures and increase the number of contractors from eight to “at least 30” in order to better distribute cash amongst those involved.
(Via Politico)
