According to a letter from the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), of the $2.8 billion international aid sent by the US to Afghanistan after the withdrawal of US troops in 2021, approximately $293 million remains unaccounted for. The SIGAR implied that much of this may have been pre-empted by the Taliban. This is on top of the $7 billion worth of military equipment left behind by the US in 2021.
Vetting Regulations Against the Taliban
Afghanistan were required to observe necessary anti-terrorism vetting protocols when managing the funds. This includes accurate and punctual documentation of every fund received. It ensures that no funds are exploited by terrorist organisations within the country. Five bureaus managed the awards, of which two failed to comply with US regulations. These were: The Bureau of Democracy and The Bureau of Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs.
USAID Partners
The SIGAR also mentioned that almost $11 million worth of US taxpayers’ money could have been misdirected to the Taliban by other USAID partners (including universities, non-profit organisations, for-profit private sectors etc.). Around 38 of 65 implementing partners are under scrutiny for this. However, this number remains a small fraction of the total mishap.
The letter mentioned the hundreds if not thousands, of new NGOs (Non-profit organisations) registering with the Ministry of Economy, many of which are rumoured to have Taliban affiliations.
Rectifying the Mistakes
The US Department of State agreed that they will assess the failures in compliance by implementing partners for almost $300 million in a full investigation and a series of audits. The SIGAR termed the failure in oversight as ‘deeply alarming’, and has ‘strengthened and enriched’ the Talibans’ power and capacity for oppression. He stated that the situation ‘undermined’ US national security interests. The SIGAR requested a response from the US secretary to 4 demands. In summary:
- Have the US frozen any new aid planned to be sent to Afghanistan until it can ensure all partners comply with counterterrorism vetting requirements?
- Address how the US will improve its documentation to avoid such a mishap.
- Outline the consequences for those who have failed to comply with vetting protocols.
- Explain how the US will improve communication to prevent the mismanaging of US taxpayers’ money.
The letter concluded that the State may take ‘immediate remedial and comprehensive action’ to address issues and prevent similar occurrences.
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