Inspector General Warns US Taxpayers May Be Funding Taliban

A government watchdog issued a dire warning to Congress on Wednesday.

Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) John Sopko warned the House Oversight Committee that the Taliban may be stealing money from the billions of taxpayer dollars allocated to help the people of Afghanistan.

Wednesday's hearing was focused on the Biden administration's botched withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. (RELATED: Republicans Launch Probe Into Afghanistan Withdrawal)

“Unfortunately, as I sit here today, I cannot assure this committee or the American taxpayer we are not currently funding the Taliban,” Sopko said in his opening remarks.

“Nor can I assure you that the Taliban are not diverting the money we are sending from the intended recipients, which are the poor Afghan people,” he added.

In written testimony, Sopko announced his team planned to release a 2023 High-Risk List report that outlines “five serious risks to the more than $8 billion the United States has provided or otherwise made available to the Afghan people since the U.S. withdrawal.”

The testimony outlines several ways the Taliban may be diverting funds intended for the Afghan people to itself, including imposing customs charges on shipments coming into the country, charging taxes and fees directly on NGOs, and diverting funds away from groups “the Taliban considers hostile and toward groups they favor.”

Sopko accused the State Department and United States Agency for International Development of refusing to cooperate with audits and other inquiries, which he says is hampering SIGAR's ability to oversee funds spent on Afghanistan.

“In sum, due to the refusal of State and USAID to fully cooperate with SIGAR, I cannot report to this Committee or the American people on the extent to which our government may be funding the Taliban and other nefarious groups with U.S. taxpayer dollars,” he wrote.

READ NEXT: Police Work To Dismantle ‘Second Device' After Bomb Rocks Downtown Seattle