Mike Waltz, the U.S. National Security Adviser under Donald Trump, has accused the Taliban of interfering in United Nations contracts, asserting that American taxpayers do not want their money funnelled through this channel.
In an interview with NBC News on Sunday, Waltz claimed that the Taliban dictate who secures and who is denied UN contracts, significantly influencing the distribution of international aid.
Waltz’s remarks come in the wake of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to suspend humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. Trump’s team, along with Republican representatives in Congress, have repeatedly claimed that the Taliban have benefited from international assistance over the past three years.
The U.S. Secretary of State under the Biden administration previously acknowledged that out of the $3 billion in U.S. financial aid, the Taliban may have received approximately $10 million through various channels.
Waltz confirmed that Afghanistan has received over $3 billion in humanitarian aid in the past three years and criticised the UN’s oversight of the distribution process. He highlighted that contracting companies play a major role in determining how U.S. aid is allocated through the UN, arguing that the Taliban exert significant influence in selecting these contractors.
He stated “I don’t think the American people support $3 billion-plus going to the Taliban through a series of UN contractors, allowing them to dictate who benefits and who is punished on the ground.”
Waltz insisted that evidence backs his claims, telling NBC News “We have documented evidence after documented evidence that this is happening. We don’t want studies and commissions. The President wants action, and that’s what he’s getting.”
Additionally, Waltz criticised the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which is now integrated into the State Department, alleging that it has failed to effectively utilise U.S. financial aid and that its assistance has not served American interests.
Taliban Prisoner Exchange Before Trump’s Inauguration
In a separate remark, Waltz highlighted the success of the new U.S. administration in securing the release of American prisoners from Taliban captivity, arguing that the Biden administration had failed in this regard.
A day before Donald Trump’s inauguration, two American citizens, Ryan Corbett and William McEntee, were released in exchange for a Taliban prisoner, returning to the United States after a prolonged period of captivity.
