The US will withhold a total of $160 million destined for projects and initiatives in Afghanistan. Washington says the move and timing is totally due to them finding out the cash will be squandered by Kabul.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Thursday that $100 million earmarked for an energy project would be returned to the US treasury, while an additional $60 million in planned assistance would be nixed. Pompeo claimed that the funds were being withheld as punishment for Kabul’s “inability to transparently manage US government resources.”
He said that money allocated to “serve the interests of all Afghan citizens” had instead been wasted due to “government corruption and financial mismanagement.” Pompeo promised that the proposed energy project would still be completed using an alternative funding method.
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