SIGAR chief concerned US aid ‘funding’ IEA

John Sopko, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), told the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday that he cannot say with certainty that US aid to the country is “not currently funding the Taliban (IEA).”

“While I agree, and we all agree Afghanistan faces a dire humanitarian and economic situation, it is critical that our assistance not be diverted by the Taliban,” Sopko told the House Oversight Committee. “Unfortunately, as I sit here today, I cannot assure this committee or the American taxpayer we are not currently funding the Taliban (IEA).

“Nor can I assure you that the Taliban are not diverting the money we are sending from the intended recipients, which are the poor Afghan people,” he said.

Instead of dealing directly with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) the Biden administration has tried to direct the money into Afghanistan through international organizations and NGOs. But without US observers on the ground to monitor the use of the funding, SIGAR warns in its latest report that aid to the Afghan people could be diverted before it reaches its intended recipient.

Wednesday’s hearing comes roughly two weeks after the Pentagon and State Department sent classified findings of their after-action reviews of the Afghanistan withdrawal to Congress, and the White House released a summary of those findings.

The summary released by the White House largely blamed the Trump administration for setting conditions that led to the disastrous 2021 withdrawal.