Administration wants to reimburse Taliban's travel expenses

[babylonsister]

Administration wants to reimburse Taliban’s travel expenses
As if ‘life imitating The Onion’ according to one taxpayer advocate
Posted May 15, 2019 5:18 PM
John M. Donnelly


The Trump administration asked Congress earlier this year for funds to reimburse Afghanistan’s Taliban for expenses the insurgent group incurs attending peace talks, according to a spokesman for the chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.

The money would cover the Taliban’s costs for expenses such as transportation, lodging, food and supplies, said Kevin Spicer, spokesman for Indiana Democrat Peter J. Visclosky, in a statement for CQ Roll Call.

“The Defense Department requested fiscal 2020 funding to support certain reconciliation activities, including logistic support for members of the Taliban and, in March 2019, they sent a notification letter to the Committee on using fiscal year 2019 funds for similar activities,” Spicer said.

The Pentagon’s request to funnel U.S. funds to the Taliban “would implicate provisions of law concerning material support to terrorists, the Taliban’s ongoing offensive operations against U.S. service members, and their continuing lack of acknowledgement of the government of Afghanistan or the rights of women in Afghan society,” said Spicer.

Consequently, Visclosky’s panel approved on Wednesday a $690.2 billion Defense spending bill for fiscal 2020 that bars any funds for reimbursing the Taliban.

Life imitating ‘The Onion’

Under the request, however, the U.S. government would funnel funds to a violent group that once harbored Osama bin Laden — a fighting force that U.S. troops have been combating for more than 18 years.

The Taliban is a well-funded organization, too. And much of its money has been earned from a drug trade that is killing record numbers of Americans. The group may net at least $800 million a year from opium trafficking and related activities.

more...

https://www.rollcall.com/news/congress/administration-wants-reimburse-talibans-travel-expenses?fbclid=IwAR1YQjgp6XzExBBJakNMog0NhzJSOD-nuAuW9iqtOSOYzBU9Hi065hFmR9c

[LuckyLib]

1. American taxpayers need to be reimbursed for 17 years

of war expenses.

[FakeNoose]

2. BUT we can't afford universal healthcare or Medicare for All

Oh no. That would be way too much!

[Midnightwalk]

3. How much are the travel expenses

I hate trump. I hate the Taliban. I hate the never ending conflict in Afghanistan.

Is trump profiting somehow? Probably. Why can’t the Taliban pay? Don’t know.

I didn’t read anything that says to me it’s a bad thing if it leads to a settlement. The never ending war costs a hell of a lot more.

Are there better reasons to oppose this?