Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., lambasted Secretary of State Antony Blinken over the estimated “tens of billions” of U.S. taxpayer dollars that have been sent to the Taliban since the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan. Mast, who will become the new chair of the House Foreign Relations Committee next month, grilled Blinken over the Biden administration’s handling of the chaotic August 2021 withdrawal.
Mast pointed out that the U.S. no longer has control of the U.S. embassy in Afghanistan and yet the country is still giving the Taliban tens of billions of dollars. He cited reports by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) which tracks the status of U.S. funds appropriated for reconstruction efforts.
The reports showed that $280 million has been sent to the United Nations to do cash transfers for food in Afghanistan, as well as $75 million to teach women to become farmers. Mast questioned whether the funds are being used effectively, given that Afghanistan has banned women from participating in public life.
Mast also expressed concerns over a $3.5 billion transfer to the Afghan fund aimed at protecting the macro financial stability of the Afghan people. He asked Blinken to explain what this meant, calling it “gibberish”.
Blinken responded by saying that the money is implemented through partners, such as United Nations agencies and NGOs. However, Mast expressed skepticism, saying that people have directly lied to them in the past and that the U.S. has no eyes on the ground in Afghanistan to verify the use of these funds.
Mast also referenced a two-year investigation by House Republicans which found that a $500,000 grant intended to promote “humanism and secularism” in Nepal may have been misused. He accused Blinken of not telling the truth and called on him to be more transparent about the use of these funds.
In response, Blinken said he respectfully disagreed with Mast’s opposition to the Afghan funds, saying that they have saved many lives in a difficult situation.