Afghanistan receives nearly $2 billion in-cash assistance under Taliban rule
Photo: Da Afghanistan Bank

SIGAR: US Aid Vetting Lapses May Have Profited Taliban and Militant Groups

WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES – Two bureaus within the U.S. State Department have failed to demonstrate compliance with internal policies for vetting aid groups in Afghanistan that received nearly US$300 million in funds, according to a U.S. government watchdog.

In a report released on Wednesday, July 17, the U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) raised concerns that the Taliban and other extremist groups might have potentially benefited from U.S. taxpayer funds.

“According to State guidance, all bureaus are required to perform basic procedures and follow best practices during the pre-award phase, and to perform a risk assessment for each program,” SIGAR said.

The report found that three out of five State Department bureaus complied with regulations. However, the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, and the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs failed to provide sufficient documentation to prove their adherence.

“State could not demonstrate compliance with its partner vetting requirements on awards that disbursed at least $293 million in Afghanistan,” the SIGAR report stated.

“It is critical that State knows who is actually benefitting from this assistance in order to prevent the aid from being diverted to the Taliban or other sanctioned parties,” it added.

According to the report, the Taliban has attempted to obtain U.S. aid funds “through various means, including the creation of humanitarian organizations,” underscoring the need for the department to “fully and consistently assess the risks posed by its implementing partners.”

The watchdog emphasizes that there is an increased risk that terrorists and terrorist-affiliated individuals or entities may have illegally benefited from US taxpayer funds intended to benefit the people of Afghanistan.

According to the report, U.S. Department of State officials acknowledged the non-compliance, attributing it to issues like employee turnover and the dissolution of the Afghanistan-Pakistan office, which affected documentation retention. The department agreed with the report’s findings and committed to “working to ensure compliance” with vetting requirements.

Despite ending its diplomatic and military presence in Afghanistan in 2021, the U.S. remains the largest donor to the country. Since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, the U.S. has provided over $17 billion in assistance to Afghanistan.

U.S. lawmakers and opposition groups to the Taliban have since repeatedly expressed concerns about Taliban infiltration and the potential misuse of funds to fund its regime and potentially help finance other terrorist groups.

Chairman Michael McCaul of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee and Senator Marco Rubio have called for halting aid to Afghanistan due to concerns about Taliban infiltration and terrorism financing.

Mr. McCaul emphasized the need for assurances that the aid would reach the right hands, while Senator Rubio warned that American taxpayer dollars should not be used to benefit terrorist groups like the Taliban.