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SIGAR finds US aid vetting failures may have benefited militants in Afghanistan

The Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, and the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs could not provide enough documentation to prove their adherence, Reuters reported.

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Two State Department bureaus could not prove compliance with internal policies for vetting aid groups in Afghanistan that received $293 million in funds, Washington’s Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) said Wednesday.

"It is critical that State knows who is actually benefiting from this assistance in order to prevent the aid from being diverted to the Taliban (Islamic Emirate) or other sanctioned parties," said the latest SIGAR report.

According to the report, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has tried to obtain US aid funds "through several means, including the establishment of humanitarian organizations," underscoring the need for the department to "fully and consistently assess the risks posed by its implementing partners."

SIGAR said three of five State Department bureaus were found in compliance with department regulations requiring vetting of aid fund recipients.

But the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, and the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs could not provide enough documentation to prove their adherence, Reuters reported.

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

For that reason, "there is an increased risk that terrorists and terrorist-affiliated individuals and entities may have illegally benefitted," it said.

The department agreed with the report's conclusions and would "work to ensure compliance" with vetting requirements, it said.

The US remains the largest aid donor to Afghanistan nearly three years after the IEA regained power.

Since the US withdrawal was completed on Aug. 30, 2021, Washington has provided more than $17.9 billion in assistance to Afghanistan.

The Islamic Emirate rejects claims of misuse of aid from the international community, including the United States of America.

The Ministry of Economy has also rejected the misuse of humanitarian aid and says that the aid is provided to deserving and needy people in a transparent and trustworthy manner.

The United States remains the largest donor to Afghanistan.

Previously SIGAR reported that during the last three years, US aid implementation partners in Afghanistan have paid at least $10.9 million in taxes and money for water and electricity to the current Afghan government.

 

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Armed attack on civilians in Daikundi-Ghor area sparks international reactions

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Daesh-affiliated members' armed attack on civilians in an area between Daikundi and Ghor provinces has provoked international reactions. In this attack, 14 civilians were killed.

The United Nations has condemned the attack on Hazara community and described it as "heinous".

UNAMA has urged the Islamic Emirate to identify the perpetrators of this attack.

Karen Decker, Chargé d'Affaires of the US Mission to Afghanistan, has also strongly condemned the attack and expressed her condolences to victims and their families.

The Embassy of Japan in Afghanistan also condemned the attack in a post on X and called it “heinous terrorist attack”.

IEA’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed on Friday that 14 civilians were killed in an attack in an area between Daikundi and Ghor provinces.

Daesh claimed responsibility for the attack.

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US aid to Afghanistan should be conditioned on treatment of women and children: McCaul

McCaul also said that by not including the Afghan government in the Doha negotiations, Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan peace, made a big error.

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Michael McCaul, Republican chair of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, has said that any aid or assistance Washington gives to Afghanistan has to be conditioned on treatment of women and children.

In an interview with the Voice of America, McCaul said that girls in Afghanistan should be allowed to go to school and enjoy their fundemental rights.

Referring to the restrictions against women, he said that Afghanistan has now returned to the "Stone Age".

McCaul also said that by not including the Afghan government in the Doha negotiations, Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan peace, made a big error.

“They (Afghan government) felt like they were sidelined,” he said.

McCaul also stated that the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan without an action plan was a “fatal flaw” because many Americans and their Afghan allies were left behind.

This comes as the Islamic Emirate has said that the rights of women and girls are an internal issue of Afghanistan and Sharia laws must be respected.

IEA has also said that foreign aid to Afghanistan is managed by international organizations and the Islamic Emirate does not use it.

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Pakistan’s ex-PM Khan says terrorism cannot be eliminated without dialogue with Afghanistan

He said that a large number of policemen in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been killed in the fight against terrorism and if terrorism is not controlled, the economy will come to a standstill.

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Pakistan's jailed former prime minister, Imran Khan, said on Friday that terrorism cannot be eliminated without having dialogue with the authorities in Afghanistan.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Khan expressed his support for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapour's proposal for a direct dialogue with Kabul.

“Ali Amin is absolutely right,” Imran Khan stated. “They should be beseeching him to go and talk to Afghanistan for the sake of God."

A day earlier, Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif criticized Gandapur's plan to talk to Kabul, saying it was a direct attack on the federal government.

When questioned about the possibility of a province directly engaging with another country when a federal government and the Foreign Office were already in place, Imran Khan replied: "Forget the Foreign Office, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been the most affected by terrorism.”

He said that a large number of policemen in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been killed in the fight against terrorism and if terrorism is not controlled, the economy will come to a standstill.

Khan urged the government to lend a hand to anyone attempting to eradicate the menace of terrorism.

"If someone is trying to end terrorism, cooperate with them," he stated, dismissing the perception that Gandapur’s intentions were anti-state. "Ali Amin is speaking in the favour of the country, not against it."

Clarifying Gandapur’s stance, he pointed out, "Ali Amin spoke about going but didn’t say he was leaving immediately, — he didn’t even fix a time." Khan concluded his talk by saying, "What wrong has Ali Amin said?"

Gandapur announced on Wednesday that he would send a delegation to Afghanistan to resolve bilateral issues.

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