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Miami Herald
24-06-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Does the US Fund the Taliban? What We Know as House Passes Bill
The House of Representatives has passed legislation which its supporters say aims to stop U.S. funds from ending up in the hands of the Taliban, which took control of Afghanistan after the U.S. pulled out of the country in 2021. The No Tax Dollars for Terrorists Act, introduced by Republican Representative Tim Burchett, passed on Monday. The Taliban is categorized as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and was ousted from power when the U.S. and its allies invaded Afghanistan in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. After a two-decade presence, the U.S. left Afghanistan in a widely criticized withdrawal under former President Joe Biden and the Taliban soon declared a new government, which is unrecognized by any foreign state or international institution. While direct U.S. funding of the Taliban controlling Afghanistan is prohibited, Burchett had pointed to reports the group had benefited indirectly from taxes and cash shipments to their centrally controlled bank, raising questions about Washington's policy and the effectiveness of humanitarian aid to the country. The U.S. has provided nearly $2 billion in assistance to Afghanistan between August 2021, and January 2024, according to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). While USAID said no assistance went to the Taliban, a May 2024 report from the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) said in the same period, around $10.9 million in U.S. aid had gone to the group. This was because the previous Afghanistan government, according to the SIGAR report, had set up a system to benefit from agencies delivering aid in which it would take a share of taxes, utility bills, and other fees for operating in the country where nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and public international organizations (PIOs) were working. In a press statement Monday, the foreign affairs committee said weekly cash shipments of nearly $40 million were being sent to Afghanistan's Taliban-controlled Central Bank. Burchett said on the House floor on Monday that Afghans resisting Taliban rule had told him "nearly all of the cash aid sent to Afghanistan ends up in the hands of the Taliban." Ali Maisam Nazary, head of foreign relations for the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF) told Newsweek on Tuesday that under the previous Biden administration, millions of U.S. dollars ended up in Taliban hands due to weak oversight and misguided aid policies. He welcomed the House-passed bill, which if made into law would ensure no U.S. tax dollars can be used to "aid" Taliban rule. "A secure free and humanitarian zone similar to northern Afghanistan in the 1990s is essential," Nazary said , adding that aid should be delivered in Taliban-free areas with full oversight to ensure it reaches the people of the war-torn nation and not terrorist groups. "This will ensure that no aid, even a dollar, is exploited by any terrorist group including Al Qaeda and the Taliban," he added. In a press statement Monday, the Republican House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast said the bill "makes sure not a single penny of American taxpayer money ends up in the hands of the Taliban—not directly, not through back doors, and not via weak-willed foreign governments or shady NGOs." Republican Representative Tim Burchett on Monday: "Mr. Speaker, they (Taliban) will hate us for free. We do not need to give them hard-earned American tax dollars." Ali Maisam Nazary, head of foreign relations for the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan: "There is no mechanism in a Taliban-occupied Afghanistan that can prevent the exploitation of aid by terrorists at the moment." The legislation would give the Secretary of State 180 days to develop a strategy to discourage foreign governments and charities from aiding the Taliban, supporting Afghan women and report to Congress about aid to Afghanistan. The legislation passed by voice vote without objection on Monday and will now proceed to the Senate. Nazary has called on the U.S. Senate "to act with the same clarity and courage in passing this bill." Related Articles With Iran Weakened by US and Israel, ISIS Rejoices and ResurgesMan Who Says He Helped US Soldiers in Afghanistan Now in ICE DetentionHow Countries on Trump's Travel Ban List Have RespondedDonald Trump's Travel Ban: Who Can Still Enter the US? 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
24-06-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
Does the US Fund the Taliban? What We Know as House Passes Bill
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The House of Representatives has passed legislation which its supporters say aims to stop U.S. funds from ending up in the hands of the Taliban, which took control of Afghanistan after the U.S. pulled out of the country in 2021. The No Tax Dollars for Terrorists Act, introduced by Republican Representative Tim Burchett, passed on Monday. Why It Matters The Taliban is categorized as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and was ousted from power when the U.S. and its allies invaded Afghanistan in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. After a two-decade presence, the U.S. left Afghanistan in a widely criticized withdrawal under former President Joe Biden and the Taliban soon declared a new government, which is unrecognized by any foreign state or international institution. While direct U.S. funding of the Taliban controlling Afghanistan is prohibited, Burchett had pointed to reports the group had benefited indirectly from taxes and cash shipments to their centrally controlled bank, raising questions about Washington's policy and the effectiveness of humanitarian aid to the country. Taliban security personnel keep watch as they sit on an armored vehicle during the Eid al-Adha celebrations in Herat on June 7, 2025. Taliban security personnel keep watch as they sit on an armored vehicle during the Eid al-Adha celebrations in Herat on June 7, To Know The U.S. has provided nearly $2 billion in assistance to Afghanistan between August 2021, and January 2024, according to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). While USAID said no assistance went to the Taliban, a May 2024 report from the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) said in the same period, around $10.9 million in U.S. aid had gone to the group. This was because the previous Afghanistan government, according to the SIGAR report, had set up a system to benefit from agencies delivering aid in which it would take a share of taxes, utility bills, and other fees for operating in the country where nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and public international organizations (PIOs) were working. In a press statement Monday, the foreign affairs committee said weekly cash shipments of nearly $40 million were being sent to Afghanistan's Taliban-controlled Central Bank. Burchett said on the House floor on Monday that Afghans resisting Taliban rule had told him "nearly all of the cash aid sent to Afghanistan ends up in the hands of the Taliban." Ali Maisam Nazary, head of foreign relations for the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF) told Newsweek on Tuesday that under the previous Biden administration, millions of U.S. dollars ended up in Taliban hands due to weak oversight and misguided aid policies. He welcomed the House-passed bill, which if made into law would ensure no U.S. tax dollars can be used to "aid" Taliban rule. "A secure free and humanitarian zone similar to northern Afghanistan in the 1990s is essential," Nazary said , adding that aid should be delivered in Taliban-free areas with full oversight to ensure it reaches the people of the war-torn nation and not terrorist groups. "This will ensure that no aid, even a dollar, is exploited by any terrorist group including Al Qaeda and the Taliban," he added. On behalf of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan, I extend our sincere appreciation to Speaker @SpeakerJohnson, Chairman @RepBrianMast, Congressman @TimBurchett, and the U.S. House of Representatives for the passage of the No Tax Dollars for Terrorists Act. This… — Ali Maisam Nazary (@alinazary) June 23, 2025 In a press statement Monday, the Republican House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast said the bill "makes sure not a single penny of American taxpayer money ends up in the hands of the Taliban—not directly, not through back doors, and not via weak-willed foreign governments or shady NGOs." What People Are Saying Republican Representative Tim Burchett on Monday: "Mr. Speaker, they (Taliban) will hate us for free. We do not need to give them hard-earned American tax dollars." Ali Maisam Nazary, head of foreign relations for the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan: "There is no mechanism in a Taliban-occupied Afghanistan that can prevent the exploitation of aid by terrorists at the moment." What Happens Next The legislation would give the Secretary of State 180 days to develop a strategy to discourage foreign governments and charities from aiding the Taliban, supporting Afghan women and report to Congress about aid to Afghanistan. The legislation passed by voice vote without objection on Monday and will now proceed to the Senate. Nazary has called on the U.S. Senate "to act with the same clarity and courage in passing this bill."
Arab News
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
US weapons abandoned in Afghanistan were used in Pakistan train hijacking last month — report
ISLAMABAD: Militants used weapons abandoned by US forces in Afghanistan during a deadly train hijacking last month in southwestern Pakistan, a report by international newspaper 'The Washington Post' said on Monday. Pakistan has voiced its concerns over the presence of advanced US weapons in Afghanistan which Washington has sought to be returned by Kabul's Afghan Taliban rulers. Islamabad has urged the United Nations to recover these weapons, warning that militant groups such as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the separatist Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) were gaining access to them. BLA militants stormed the Jaffar Express train in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province last month, holding hundreds of passengers hostage. The military said it killed 33 militants in a rescue operation that lasted over 24 hours. It said the hijacking killed 31 soldiers, staff and civilians. As per the report, Pakistani officials gave The Post access to dozens of weapons in May that they said were seized from captured or killed militants. After months of inquiries, The Post said the US Army and the Pentagon confirmed that 63 weapons shown to reporters had been provided by the US government to Afghan forces. 'After the March 11 train attack by Baloch militants, which claimed at least 26 lives, Pakistani officials provided serial numbers for three US rifles allegedly used by the attackers,' the report said. 'At least two came from US stocks and had been provided to Afghan forces, according to records obtained by The Post through the Freedom of Information Act.' Of the 63 weapons shown by Pakistani officials, the post said most were M16 rifles, alongside several, more-modern M4 carbine models. It said Pakistani officials also displayed a handful of PVS14 night-vision devices, which are used throughout the American armed forces but could not be independently verified as former US government property. It said these weapons left behind by American forces found themselves in the hands of militants after being traded along Pakistan's porous border with Afghanistan at illicit weapons bazaars. The Post cited a 2023 report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, or SIGAR, which estimated in 2023 that when the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, over $7 billion in American military equipment was still in the country. The report said SIGAR concluded the US military had an uneven record of keeping track of weapons provided to the Afghans, which was exacerbated by its 'abrupt and uncoordinated' withdrawal in 2021. The report said SIGAR estimated more than a quarter-million rifles were left behind by US forces during their withdrawal from Afghanistan, enough to arm the entire US Marine Corps as well as nearly 18,000 night-vision goggles. 'Just after the Taliban takeover, the latest night-vision devices were sold at a scrap rate,' Raz Muhammad, a Pakistani weapons trader, was quoted by The Post. The report quoted a Pakistan Army major, Zaheer Hassan, as saying that insurgents have paired night vision and thermal equipment with small drones to attack troops with more precision. 'The battle has become much more dangerous,' Hassan said, according to The Post. Pakistan's foreign office said this month that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio agreed during a telephonic conversation with Pakistan's deputy prime minister on the need to resolve the issue of US Military equipment left behind in Afghanistan. Pakistan has struggled to contain surging militancy in its western regions that border Afghanistan in recent years, with Islamabad accusing Kabul of sheltering and supporting militant groups that launch cross-border attacks. Afghan officials deny involvement and insist that Pakistan's security issues are an internal matter of Islamabad.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hawley calls for watchdog over Ukraine aid after Democrats blocked previous effort
FIRST ON FOX: Amidst a war of words between President Donald Trump and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Sen. Josh Hawley is pitching legislation that would install a special inspector general for Ukraine aid. Hawley, R-Mo., is reintroducing legislation he sponsored along with Vice President J.D. Vance, when Vance was in the Senate, for an independent watchdog to audit the more than $174 billion that Congress has appropriated for Ukraine aid. The Special Inspector General for Ukraine Assistance Act was voted down by the then-Democratic-controlled Senate when Hawley first introduced it in 2023. But with Republican control of both chambers of Congress and President Donald Trump's increasing frustration over Ukraine aid, Hawley believes it now has a chance of becoming law. "American taxpayers shouldn't have to wonder where their billions in aid to Ukraine went and what they're funding there now. They deserve an accounting of every penny Congress shipped over there," Hawley said in a statement. Waltz Says Ukraine Should 'Tone Down' Criticism Of Trump The watchdog would be similar to those created for Afghanistan reconstruction, known as SIGAR, and one created to investigate CARES Act fraud during the COVID-19 pandemic, known as SIGPR, and another created after the 2008 financial crisis to audit the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP). Read On The Fox News App Under Hawley's bill, an inspector general's office for Ukraine would conduct oversight of aid programs run by the Department of Defense, State Department, and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The legislation would siphon dollars from the Ukraine Economic Assistance Fund for the office, and the inspector general would be required to submit quarterly reports to Congress on the office's findings. Gop Senators Back Trump's Demand For Ukraine Elections, But Won't Call Zelenskyy 'Dictator' Hawley's action comes as tensions between Trump and Zelenskyy reached a fever pitch this week after Trump called the Ukrainian leader a "dictator" who "never should have started" the war. Zelenskyy in turn said Trump is operating in a "disinformation space." This week, Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and national security adviser Mike Waltz sat down with their Russian counterparts and agreed to increase their diplomatic presences in each other's nations. Hawley, while veering away from calling Zelenskyy a "dictator," backed up Trump's assertion that Ukraine needed to hold elections, even in a time of war. Trump Calls Ukraine's Zelenskyy A 'Dictator Without Elections' As Rift Widens "We held elections during World War II," Hawley said. "If they're a democracy, they should hold elections. I don't think that's difficult." "[Zelenskyy] is the elected leader of the country," said Hawley. "But, you know, at a certain point you've got to hold elections." Trump has been pushing Zelenskyy to pay up for past U.S. support. Last week, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent traveled to Ukraine to hand the Ukrainian president a draft deal entitling the U.S. to hundreds of billions worth of its minerals. National security adviser Mike Waltz said on Thursday that Ukraine needs to "tone it down" and sign the mineral deal. "We presented the Ukrainians really an incredible and historic opportunity to have the United States of America co-invest with Ukraine, invest in its economy, invest in its natural resources and really become a partner in Ukraine's future in a way that's sustainable, but also would be – I think – the best security guarantee they could ever hope for, much more than another pallet of ammunition," he article source: Hawley calls for watchdog over Ukraine aid after Democrats blocked previous effort
Fox News
20-02-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Hawley calls for watchdog over Ukraine aid after Democrats blocked previous effort
FIRST ON FOX: Amidst a war of words between President Donald Trump and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Sen. Josh Hawley is pitching legislation that would install a special inspector general for Ukraine aid. Hawley, R-Mo., is reintroducing legislation he sponsored along with Vice President J.D. Vance, when Vance was in the Senate, for an independent watchdog to audit the more than $174 billion that Congress has appropriated for Ukraine aid. The Special Inspector General for Ukraine Assistance Act was voted down by the then-Democratic-controlled Senate when Hawley first introduced it in 2023. But with Republican control of both chambers of Congress and President Donald Trump's increasing frustration over Ukraine aid, Hawley believes it now has a chance of becoming law. "American taxpayers shouldn't have to wonder where their billions in aid to Ukraine went and what they're funding there now. They deserve an accounting of every penny Congress shipped over there," Hawley said in a statement. The watchdog would be similar to those created for Afghanistan reconstruction, known as SIGAR, and one created to investigate CARES Act fraud during the COVID-19 pandemic, known as SIGPR, and another created after the 2008 financial crisis to audit the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP). Under Hawley's bill, an inspector general's office for Ukraine would conduct oversight of aid programs run by the Department of Defense, State Department, and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The legislation would siphon dollars from the Ukraine Economic Assistance Fund for the office, and the inspector general would be required to submit quarterly reports to Congress on the office's findings. And as Congress hashes out a budget blueprint, Hawley has issued a warning to Senate leaders not to try to "slip in" Ukraine aid. "We shouldn't be giving a dime more to Ukraine. We should be auditing the billions we've already given them," he said. Hawley's action comes as tensions between Trump and Zelenskyy reached a fever pitch this week after Trump called the Ukrainian leader a "dictator" who "never should have started" the war. Zelenskyy in turn said Trump is operating in a "disinformation space." This week, Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and national security adviser Mike Waltz sat down with their Russian counterparts and agreed to increase their diplomatic presences in each other's nations. Hawley, while veering away from calling Zelenskyy a "dictator," backed up Trump's assertion that Ukraine needed to hold elections, even in a time of war. "We held elections during World War II," Hawley said. "If they're a democracy, they should hold elections. I don't think that's difficult." "[Zelenskyy] is the elected leader of the country," said Hawley. "But, you know, at a certain point you've got to hold elections." Trump has been pushing Zelenskyy to pay up for past U.S. support. Last week, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent traveled to Ukraine to hand the Ukrainian president a draft deal entitling the U.S. to hundreds of billions worth of its minerals. National security adviser Mike Waltz said on Thursday that Ukraine needs to "tone it down" and sign the mineral deal. "We presented the Ukrainians really an incredible and historic opportunity to have the United States of America co-invest with Ukraine, invest in its economy, invest in its natural resources and really become a partner in Ukraine's future in a way that's sustainable, but also would be – I think – the best security guarantee they could ever hope for, much more than another pallet of ammunition," he said.
