New GOP-backed bill would ban aid to Afghanistan to avoid giving US dollars to the Taliban

FIRST ON FOX: A radical of Republican lawmakers is introducing a caller measure that would cease each assistance dollars to Afghanistan implicit concerns of interception by the Taliban.

"The Biden-Harris administration’s disastrous withdrawal has plunged the state backmost nether Taliban rule, and present it turns retired that our payer dollars are being utilized to the payment of the Taliban," Rep. Josh Brecheen, R-Okla., sponsor of the legislation, told Fox News Digital. 

"This authorities is needed truthful we tin guarantee that nary much of our taxation dollars are being irresponsibly utilized successful Taliban-controlled Afghanistan."

The House bill is co-sponsored by Republican Reps. Tim Burchett of Tennessee, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Nick Langworthy of New York, Barry Moore of Alabama, Erlic Burlison of Missouri, Matt Rosendale of Montana and Randy Feenstra of Iowa. 

The U.S. is the largest donor to Afghanistan. It spent a full of $21 cardinal connected the federation and Afghan refugees who person been evacuated since the withdrawal. However, critics accidental overmuch of that assistance ends up successful lining the pockets of the Taliban, who they accidental person taken power of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) successful the country.

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The United Nations (U.N.), meanwhile, has flown successful immoderate $2.9 cardinal successful U.S. currency currency to Afghanistan since the Taliban seized control, the bulk of that being from funds allocated by the U.S., and astatine slightest immoderate of which ends up successful the Taliban-controlled cardinal bank, according to the SIGAR study from July. 

Taliban fighters observe the 3rd day of the withdrawal of U.S.-led troops from Afghanistan successful Kabul, Afghanistan, connected Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Siddiqullah Alizai)

The Taliban "taxes" this currency astatine aggregate points of distribution. 

The measure would prohibit national agencies from giving immoderate nonstop currency assistance to Afghanistan and prohibit immoderate payer dollars from going to the U.N. for the intent of assisting Afghanistan. It besides prohibits Federal Reserve Banks from selling U.S. currency to the U.N. for the intent of nonstop currency assistance to Afghanistan. 

In a briefing to the U.N. Security Council connected March 6, Roza Otunbayeva, the U.N.’s peculiar typical for Afghanistan, did not notation the wealth going to Da Afghanistan cardinal slope but said it was indispensable to get aesculapian attraction and nutrient for Afghans. 

The shipments person "injected liquidity to the section system that has successful ample portion allowed the backstage assemblage to proceed to relation and averted a fiscal crisis," Otunbayeva told the council. 

In a missive provided successful effect to the SIGAR report, the State Department said the U.N. was successful complaint of managing the currency transportation program. 

"We stay committed to providing critical, life-saving humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people. We volition proceed to show assistance programs and question to mitigate the hazard that U.S. assistance could indirectly payment the Taliban oregon could beryllium diverted to unintended recipients," the missive said.

Members of the Taliban beryllium connected a subject conveyance during a Taliban subject parade successful Kabul, Afghanistan, successful November 2021. (Reuters/Ali Khara)

Taliban fighters show their emblem connected patrol successful Kabul, Afghanistan, connected Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

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For 20 years anterior to the Taliban takeover, Afghanistan received immoderate $8 cardinal successful overseas assistance per year, representing 40% of its gross home merchandise and financing 3 quarters of the government’s nationalist expenditures. When the U.S. and different overseas entities stopped supplying aid, the state fell into an economical situation – and assistance dollars began flowing erstwhile again. 

In June, the House passed a measure that would unit the State Department to analyse which countries springiness assistance to the Taliban – and besides get U.S. assistance themselves. 

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It would besides unit the caput of authorities to measurement if those countries should support getting U.S. dollars and make a strategy to discourage them from continuing assistance to the Taliban. However, that measure did not cease each assistance to Afghanistan.