US state department accidentally sends $239 million to Taliban since 2021: Reports
New Delhi: A recent report from the U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) has unveiled that the U.S. The State Department might have accidentally funneled at least $239 million to the Taliban since the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, reports themainewire.com.
The SIGAR according to Wikipedia is a U.S. government's leading oversight authority on Afghanistan reconstruction. Congress created the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction to provide independent and objective oversight of the Afghanistan Reconstruction funds.
Meanwhile, the SIGAR report highlights significant lapses in compliance with partner vetting requirements by the State Department. "State officials acknowledged that not all bureaus complied with document retention requirements," wrote the Maine Wire quoting the report, identifying at least $293 million in Afghanistan-related disbursements that lacked proper vetting documentation.
This $239 million figure is separate from the approximately $7 billion worth of military equipment, including Humvees and Black Hawk helicopters, left behind by U.S. forces, now presumably in the hands of Taliban.
The chaotic withdrawal of the Military by the Biden administration resulted in the loss of 13 U.S. soldiers and 170 Afghan civilians in a suicide bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport. Additionally, the decision to evacuate through Kabul’s central airport instead of the more secure Bagram Airfield has faced extensive criticism.
Following which, the Taliban took control of Afghanistan following the U.S. exit. They reportedly established over 1,000 non-profit organizations, calling it for humanitarian efforts, which SIGAR suggests may have served as fronts to secure U.S. taxpayer dollars.
SIGAR identified significant vetting failures in two State Department bureaus—the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL), and the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL). The report underscores the increased risk that these funds may have been embezzled or redirected to Taliban-associated organisations.
In the meantime, the report primarily recommends these bureaus to comply with existing vetting processes. However, it does not call for disciplinary actions against those responsible for the vetting failures nor suggest halting funding to Afghanistan, raising concerns about accountability and the continuation of potentially embezzeled funds.
The Afghanistan War, America’s longest foreign conflict, incurred an estimated $2.261 trillion cost to U.S. taxpayers and claimed the lives of 2,448 U.S. military personnel and 3,846 military contractors. The war also resulted in over 45,000 Afghan civilian deaths.
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Rape accused's mother murdered by victim's brother in MP's Shivpuri
Shivpuri (PTI): The 60-year-old mother of a rape accused was killed allegedly by the victim's brother in Madhya Pradesh's Shivpuri district, a police official said on Saturday.
The incident took place on Friday, Rannod police station house officer (SHO) Arvind Chauhan said.
"An anganwadi worker returning from a hospital was offered a lift by one Inder Gurjar, who took her to a secluded spot and raped her. She called up her brothers to narrate the ordeal. One brother of the victim along with two associates went to Gurjar's house and assaulted him. When Gurjar's mother Sirkunwarbai (60) intervened, she was attacked with a sharp weapon. She died on the spot," he said.
Based on a complaint filed by the deceased woman's daughter-in-law, three persons were booked for murder. One of them was held on Saturday, the official added.
A separate case has also been registered against Gurjar for rape, he said.
Police personnel have been deployed in the area in view of tension following the incident, the official added.
