US transfers funds meant for Afghanistan, Pakistan for building Mexico wall

The United States is transferring USD 1.5 billion originallymeant for the Afghan security forces and the Pakistan military to a fund tohelp pay for construction of the US-Mexican border wall, according to acting USDefence Secretary Patrick Shanahan.

“We reprogrammed USD 1.5 billion toward theconstruction of more than 120 miles of border barrier without impactingreadiness,” Shanahan said in a statement late Friday.

   

“The funds were culled from a variety of sources, toinclude unexecuted prior year funds, the suspension of reimbursements toPakistan, and costs reductions in a series of contracts,” he said.

More than USD 600 million of these funds come from an Afghansecurity forces account. The US is also taking USD 78 million from theCoalition Support Fund, which is money used to reimburse Pakistan forlogistical and military support for American military operations inAfghanistan.

The funds have been reprogrammed despite an increase inattacks inside Afghanistan and a complaint by the US chief negotiator thatpeace talks with the Taliban are not moving at a sufficient pace, Dawn said.

The US and the Taliban have held six rounds of direct talkssince October in Doha, Qatar, to end America’s longest war in which the US haslost over 2,400 soldiers. The latest round of negotiations ended on Thursday.

The Taliban control nearly half of Afghanistan, and are morepowerful than at any time since the 2001 US-led invasion.

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