oann

McCaul: No funds for Afghanistan until Taliban assurance.

Rep. Michael⁣ McCaul (R-TX).‍ (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty‍ Images)

OAN’s Brooke Mallory
12:47 PM – Sunday, August‌ 13, 2023

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), chairman of the ⁤House Foreign Affairs Committee,⁣ announced on this ⁢week’s⁢ “Fox​ News Sunday” that he ‌will block U.S. financial aid ⁢to Afghanistan unless he receives “assurances” that it ‌will not go to the ⁣Taliban.

Advertisement

Shannon Bream, a journalist​ and⁤ host of the Fox segment, said,⁤ “There’s ⁣a new report out ‌from ⁣the special inspector general overseeing Afghanistan reconstruction. The Washington Free Beacon has ⁣this headline from the report.”

“They say the administration is giving $2.35 billion⁣ to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.​ So what do you tell American ⁢taxpayers about their dollars flowing to that group as you said,‌ that was critical in what happened⁤ at​ Abby Gate and ⁣now is clearly, you know,‍ disrespectful‍ is⁣ the nicest ⁢way that I can say that‍ to women, to girls to religious minorities. Those are U.S. tax dollars.”

McCaul replied to her query, stating, “I’m prepared in my position to‌ put a hold on this funding until we get assurances it is not ⁢going right into the hands of the Taliban.”

“They are repressing women. They can’t ⁣go out of⁣ their homes. They ⁢can’t get educated. Women can’t be hired by these NGOs, these‌ charitable organizations‌ in Afghanistan,‍ and we are paying the ⁣money. ⁤The U.S. taxpayers are​ funding this. We need some assurance that this is​ going to go to the right hands and it’s ⁣going to help the women in Afghanistan. If the Taliban can’t assure us ‍of ‌that, I​ think we need to be prepared ‌to cut that funding off as a ⁣stick‌ rather than giving them just a carrot,” McCaul continued.

Since the tumultuous departure of American ​forces in August ⁢2021, ​the U.S.⁤ has contributed​ more than ​$8 billion in aid to Afghanistan.

John Sopko, the​ special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction‍ and head‍ of‌ the⁢ U.S. government watchdog‍ for the ‌war, said in April that the‌ United States may have contributed⁣ billions of dollars in taxpayer funds to the Taliban and Afghan terror organizations since the withdrawal of American soldiers, but he admitted that even he does not know‍ the ​entire‌ magnitude of the ⁣situation.

“Unfortunately, as I sit here today, I cannot assure ‌you we are not now‌ funding ⁤the Taliban,” ​special inspector ⁢general for Afghan reconstruction, John​ Sopko, said at ‍a House​ Oversight Committee hearing. ‌“Nor ⁤can I assure you the Taliban are not diverting ⁤it from the intended recipients, which are​ the Afghan people.”

Sopko reportedly ⁤has‌ more than 30 years of expertise⁤ in ⁢oversight and ⁢investigations⁣ as a prosecutor, congressional counsel, and senior federal government advisor. Individuals ​in his top leadership⁤ team⁢ also ⁤have substantial expertise⁢ in military and foreign policy concerns.

SIGAR, or the Special Inspector General ⁣for Afghan Reconstruction,‍ was established in 2008 to oversee the billions of dollars ⁢spent by the United States in the war against the⁤ terrorist​ Taliban ⁤group.

Sopko ‌had told legislators that the refusal of the State Department and the​ U.S. Agency for ⁤International Development to ⁤provide information to SIGAR, and‌ what ‌he claims is their legal obligation, is making it difficult for the agency to ⁤carry out ⁣its congressionally ⁣mandated oversight role over‌ the aid money still flowing⁢ to Afghanistan.

He encouraged Congress to assist SIGAR in ⁣obtaining information from the State Department and USAID,⁢ which handles​ civilian foreign ​aid ⁤and is directed by‌ the secretary⁣ of state.

However, officials familiar with the process said at the time that the⁣ Biden administration asserted that ‌the U.S. is no⁤ longer participating‌ in Afghanistan ⁣reconstruction and ‍that​ SIGAR is beyond⁢ the‌ inspector general’s authority.

The White House’s ‍oversight‍ spokesman ​at the time, Ian Sams, accused ⁣House Republicans in the past of “hypocritically” criticizing Biden over the pullout while ​failing to act on the Afghan⁤ Adjustment Act, which would provide additional funding and a road to permanent residency for⁢ tens of thousands of Afghans residing in ⁤the U.S. on temporary status.

“Let’s be ⁤very clear: with their politically motivated ⁢attacks, these MAGA House⁢ Republicans are hoping ⁢to distract from their own failure to even agree upon,‌ much⁣ less act on, solutions that are desperately needed today to ⁣protect the progress ‌the Biden Administration has made to ‍safely evacuate tens of thousands of people from Afghanistan at the end of the war,” Sams wrote in the memo.

In the ⁤past, Sams worked on Hillary​ Clinton’s failed 2016 presidential campaign and later moved on ⁢to being a staffer for Kamala Harris. His LinkedIn profile currently says his‌ position is “Special Assistant‍ to the President and Senior‌ Advisor and Spokesman for ⁢White House Counsel’s ⁤Office.”

Photo screenshot ⁤via Twitter: a‍ Tweet posted by Sams that‌ has since been⁢ deleted.​

Stay informed! Receive breaking news blasts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts

Since being removed from the Fox News lineup, Tucker Carlson has held bombshell interviews ⁣that have driven news​ cycles.

David Weiss⁣ becomes Special Counsel ⁣in the Hunter Biden‌ probe, while Sam Bankman-Fried ⁤trades his mom’s basement for a⁣ jail‍ cell.

With less than⁣ two weeks ⁣before the first GOP Presidential debate, ⁤media and political⁢ strategist Adam Weiss says it would be ‌beneficial for Trump not to participate.

The lack of ‍answers from ⁢the Biden Administration continues to cause frustration ⁢from ⁤families ⁤who lost loved ones during⁣ the U.S. withdrawal from ​Afghanistan.

ERBIL (Reuters) -Iraq’s telecoms ministry said it will lift ​a ban on the Telegram messaging app ​on Sunday, ‍which was imposed earlier…⁣

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Australia-listed investment firm ​GQG Partners‌ added more shares ​of Nvidia Corp in the second quarter, ⁣ending June with…

By Daniel Trotta EL CAJON, California (Reuters) – California firefighters are using‍ artificial⁢ intelligence‌ to help spot wildfires, feeding video from more…

(Reuters) ​– The U.S. Securities and Exchange‍ Commission (SEC) ⁣has delayed a decision⁣ on‍ whether to approve Cathie Wood-led Ark Investment Management’s…



" Conservative News Daily does not always share or support the views and opinions expressed here; they are just those of the writer."
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases

Related Articles

Sponsored Content
Back to top button
Available for Amazon Prime
Close

Adblock Detected

Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker