US Senator Introduces Bill To Deny Taliban Access To US Aid

Republican US Senator Shelley Moore Capito introduced a bill to prevent the Taliban and terrorist organisations from accessing US financial aid through the United Nations.

The proposed bill, titled the "Stop Funding Global Terrorists Act," would make US aid through the United Nations conditional on the US State Department guaranteeing that Washington's cash assistance would not be sent to Afghanistan in UN humanitarian shipments.

Under the second provision of the bill, the State Department must also ensure that no "terrorist organisation" benefits from this US assistance.

"The American people do not support their tax dollars being used to fund terrorism," Senator Capito wrote in a statement.

She said that her proposed bill would ensure that US aid would not enter Afghanistan in UN cash shipments for the benefit of the Taliban group, which has oppressed women and girls.

"If the UN cannot properly maintain the account of US funds that are provided to Afghanistan, it should not be trusted," Capito said.

The West Virginia senator said that a number of other senators are backing the bill, including Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Katie Britt of Alabama, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Rick Scott of Florida, Ted Cruz of Texas, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Tim Scott of South Carolina.

Senator Capito added in her statement that according to SIGAR's report, at least $10.9 million of US taxpayer funds fell into the hands of the Taliban in May last year.