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SIGAR finds it ‘unlikely’ that Ghani fled with millions of dollars in cash

US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) on Wednesday said allegations that former president Ashraf Ghani and his senior advisors fled Afghanistan aboard helicopters with millions in cash are unlikely to be true.
According to SIGAR’s final report on the investigation into the allegations, “the hurried nature of their departure, the emphasis on passengers over cargo, the payload and performance limitations of the helicopters, and the consistent alignment in detailed accounts from witnesses on the ground and in the air all suggest that there was little more than $500,000 in cash on board the helicopters”.
SIGAR found that while “some cash was taken from the grounds of the palace and loaded onto President Ghani’s evacuation helicopters, evidence indicates that this number did not exceed $1 million and may have been closer in value to $500,000.”
However, the report also details “suspicious circumstances” in which during the evacuation, approximately $5 million in cash was “accidentally” left behind at the presidential palace – some or all of which belonged to Ghani or the UAE government.
SIGAR stated that these funds were subsequently divided among presidential security officials prior to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s (IEA) takeover of the presidential palace.
SIGAR examined other examples of alleged theft by senior Afghan officials as the government collapsed, including tens of millions of dollars from the operating budget of the former National Directorate of Security.
“More broadly, although there appears to have been ample opportunity and effort to plunder Afghan government coffers, at this time SIGAR does not have sufficient evidence to determine with certainty whether hundreds of millions of dollars were removed from the country by Afghan officials as the government collapsed or whether any stolen money was provided by the United States,” the report read.
SIGAR issued an interim version of this report on June 7, 2022. This final version contains significant updates concerning the millions of dollars that were accidentally left behind by Ghani’s entourage and subsequently stolen from the presidential palace, allegations that millions of dollars were stolen from the vault at the National Directorate of Security as the IEA took Kabul, and Ghani’s response to SIGAR’s questions.
Ghani however declined SIGAR requests for an interview, agreeing instead to answer questions through his attorney.
On March 14, 2022, SIGAR sent 56 written questions to Ghani through his attorney concerning the theft allegations and other matters related to SIGAR’s congressionally mandated examination of the Afghan government’s collapse.
On July 28, 2022, through his attorney, Ghani provided answers to only six of those 56 questions.
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Standardized domestic medicine production can meet national needs: Baradar

Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, says if pharmaceutical factories in the country produce medicines in accordance with national and international standards, it would not only be a “major achievement” but would also reduce the country’s reliance on imported medicines and meet domestic demand.
According to a statement issued by the PM’s office, Baradar made these remarks on Tuesday during a ceremony honoring pharmaceutical factories.
“Today, out of all the pharmaceutical factories, only three are being awarded GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) certificates due to their high-quality production in line with international standards. I consider this a significant achievement for the factory managers and extend my congratulations to them,” said Baradar.
He described dependence on imported medicines as detrimental to the national economy, noting that imported drugs are both costly and result in greater foreign currency outflow.
He also called on all investors to consider investing in the health sector alongside other industries.
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Acting minister of mines calls on Iran to invest in Afghanistan

Acting Minister of Mines and Petroleum Hedayatullah Badri said at the opening ceremony of “Iran International Mineral Exhibition” in Tehran that Afghanistan currently has stability and that favorable opportunities for investment have been created in the country.
Badri added that the Islamic Emirate seeks to effectively utilize the experiences of neighboring countries in the extraction of Afghanistan’s mineral resources.
In addition to touring various sections of the exhibition and a lithium processing plant, he also extended an invitation to Iranian private sector companies to invest in Afghanistan.
He also held a meeting and discussion with Iran’s Minister of Industry, Mine, and Trade. A previous agreement between Tehran and Kabul regarding survey work, development, and laboratory procurement was the central focus of this meeting.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum of Afghanistan announced that two technical committees have now been formed to begin practical work on this agreement.
The Ministry of Economy also stated that Kabul is seeking to strengthen its economic and trade relations with Tehran, which would be mutually beneficial for both countries.
“Iranian investors are interested in investing in Afghanistan’s mining, transportation, energy, and infrastructure sectors, and the Islamic Emirate welcomes Iranian investors in Afghanistan,” said Abdul Latif Nazari, Deputy Minister of Economy.
Economic experts, however, consider Iran to be a valuable economic and trade partner for Afghanistan. They emphasize that expanding relations with Iran could benefit the economies and trade sectors of both Kabul and Tehran.
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Pentagon vows accountability for ‘disastrous’ Afghanistan withdrawal
Speaking to Fox News on Monday, he said those responsible for the manner of the withdrawal will definitely be held accountable.

Pete Hegseth, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, has stated that the findings of the special task force investigating the “disastrous” withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan will be released soon.
Speaking to Fox News on Monday, he said those responsible for the manner of the withdrawal will definitely be held accountable.
In response to a question regarding the results of the investigation into the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, Hegseth said: “We are pursuing this issue seriously in our office. A statement regarding the progress of the special task force working on this matter will likely be released tomorrow or Wednesday.”
He added: “The investigation is ongoing, but this process takes time, as many issues need to be examined. Some of the information is classified and requires conducting interviews.”
He predicted that the investigation into how the American withdrawal from Afghanistan was handled may continue until next year.
Referring to the withdrawal from Afghanistan as well as the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, Hegseth said: “What Joe Biden did to America’s credibility was disastrous.”
He asserted that with Donald Trump’s return, America’s strength and credibility have once again been restored.
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