MONITORING (SW) – The U.S. Congress is allowing the Pentagon to spend up to $15 million this year for logistical support for peace talks in Afghanistan, and lawmakers have tried hard to ensure the money does not effectively benefit the Taliban.
But the Pentagon, in requesting the money earlier this year, said it is "likely" some of the funds will at least indirectly help the Taliban, and the authors of the new defense authorization measure had to explicitly exempt the proposed spending from laws that bar aid to terrorist group, Roll Call reported.
It said some call the spending a small price to pay for bringing warring parties to the table after nearly 18 years of conflict. However, many in Congress recoil at the notion that some of the spending might defray costs for the Taliban, which has killed many hundreds of Americans on the battleground, harbored al-Qaida for years and earns hundreds of millions of dollars a year from illicit activity.
A Pentagon document submitted to the defense committees earlier this year with the budget request sought to justify the new appropriation and related authorities. But the document also warned the spending could cause the Pentagon to run afoul of anti-terrorism laws.
“Facilitating and supporting this reconciliation will likely require” the United States to provide support, the request said, “to individuals or organizations in a manner that may implicate provisions concerning material support to terrorists and terrorist organizations. The conferees note that this provision does not authorize direct reimbursements to members or elements of the Taliban,” the report says.
Meanwhile, the Taliban spokesman, Suhail Shaheen, has rejected reports about receiving any of these funds.
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