The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/taliban" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Taliban</a> vowed in a message to the West over the weekend that it will soon return to stoning women to death in public.
“You say it’s a violation of women’s rights when we stone them to death,” said Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, according to The Telegraph. “But we will soon implement the punishment for adultery. We will flog women in public. We will stone them to death in public.”
&#8220;These are all against your democracy but we will continue doing it,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;We both say we defend human rights – we do it as God’s representative and you as the devil’s.&#8221;
The publication said that these remarks are the most extreme that he has made since the Biden administration effectively handed over control of Afghanistan to the Taliban during President Joe Biden&#8217;s disastrous withdraw from the country in August 2021.
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The report noted that the Taliban reverted to its old extreme methods of punishment almost immediately after taking over, including carrying out public executions and beating people.
“Do women want the rights that Westerners are talking about? They are against Sharia and clerics’ opinions, the clerics who toppled Western democracy,” he said. “I told the Mujahedin that we tell the Westerners that we fought against you for 20 years and we will fight 20 and even more years against you.”
“It did not finish [when you left]. It does not mean we would now just sit and drink tea. We will bring Sharia to this land,” he continued. “It did finish after we took over Kabul. No, we will now bring Sharia into action.”
A U.N. report from last year found that 37 people had already been sentenced to stoning under the Taliban regime and that more than 100 had received sentences for &#8220;crimes against God&#8221;, according to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/taliban-vows-publicly-stone-women-death-direct-message-western-democracies">Fox News</a>. Some of the punishments included lashings and having walls knocked down on individuals.

Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada

Taliban Vows It Is Returning To Stoning Women To Death In Public

Capitol Punishment

Radical Islam

Taliban

Terrorism

World

House Homeland Security Committee Chairman <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mark-green" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Green</a> (R-TN) issued a subpoena to Homeland Security Secretary <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/alejandro-mayorkas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alejandro Mayorkas</a> on Tuesday over documents related to the screening of the tens of thousands of Afghans the Biden administration brought into the U.S. during the August 2021 withdrawal from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/afghanistan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Afghanistan</a>. 
Green and other House lawmakers have been investigating how the Biden administration screened the more than 76,000 Afghans flown into the U.S. for resettlement as the military left Afghanistan and the Taliban took over. According to Green, Mayorkas has not provided all of the documents requested, including DHS communications on vetting the evacuees, documents which were requested 160 days ago. 
“In the wake of the Biden administration’s catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan, the country has once again become a breeding ground for foreign terrorist organizations under Taliban rule, and the Committee is still seeking answers on how the Biden administration vetted those entering the United States following the withdrawal,” Green’s office said in a press release. 
Green’s <a href="https://homeland.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/2023-10-31-Subpoena-re-Afghanistan-Screening-and-Vetting.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">subpoena</a> stipulates that Mayorkas is to appear before the committee on November 7 at the Ford House Office Building in Washington, D.C., at 12:00 p.m. 
“On October 20, 2023, the Department provided a partial production containing limited data on Afghan evacuees. Although the production contained 1,601 pages, it is wholly inadequate. For example, 150 pages were either wholly redacted, devoid of content, or illegible. Further, many of the remaining pages appear to be nothing more than scanned printouts from spreadsheets of data that were provided in a format that rendered them indecipherable,” Green wrote in a <a href="https://homeland.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/2023-10-31-Green-to-Mayorkas-DHS-re-Subpoena-Afghan-Screening-and-Vetting.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to Mayorkas. 
The lawmakers&#8217; investigation into the screening of the evacuees comes after stories that some of the Afghans brought into the U.S. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/afghan-refugees-face-federal-charges-after-trying-to-rape-child-strangle-woman-in-wisconsin-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">faced charges</a> of attempted rape of a minor and other physical abuse in addition to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-dozens-of-afghan-evacuees-flagged-for-potential-terror-ties-two-shipped-out-of-u-s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dozens being flagged</a> for potential terror ties. 
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“While the produced documents provide some basic information regarding Afghan evacuees, they fall well short of what was requested by the Committee. For example, the Department failed to produce a single e-mail or other communication from Department employees related to the withdrawal from Afghanistan or Customs and Border Protection’s screening, vetting, or inspection of Afghan evacuees at U.S. ports of entry,” Green added in his letter. 
Last year, the Inspector General for DHS released a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ig-report-blasts-bidens-homeland-security-for-improperly-vetting-afghan-refugees" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scathing report</a> that said that the agency “may have admitted or paroled individuals into the United States who pose a risk to national security and the safety of local communities.”
At least two Afghan evacuees were shipped out of the U.S. after they were initially let in, while State Department officials have also investigated adult male Afghan evacuees who had child “brides” with them at processing centers in the U.S. and the United Arab Emirates. U.S. military bases that housed the evacuees <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-military-bases-incurred-millions-in-damages-after-hosting-afghan-evacuees-during-bidens-withdrawal-report-finds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">incurred millions of dollars</a> in damages, making some facilities unusable for U.S. soldiers.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-republicans-tell-mayorkas-to-not-bring-large-numbers-of-palestinians-into-u-s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RELATED: House Republicans Tell Mayorkas Not To Bring &#8216;Large Numbers Of Palestinians&#8217; Into U.S. </a>

Threats to the Homeland Hearing

Rep. Mark Green Subpoenas Mayorkas, DHS Over Screening Of Afghan Evacuees

Afghanistan

Alejandro Mayorkas

Congress

Department of Homeland Security

Mark Green

Politics

Refugees

withdrawal

Pro-Palestinian protesters at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) waved Taliban flags during a heated demonstration on Wednesday, during which several people were arrested.
Video footage <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xauHmD-6OA&amp;t=1s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shows</a> dozens of protesters at a “Protest for Palestine” waving several Taliban flags, Palestinian flags, and signs as they walked through the university&#8217;s campus for about two hours.
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Florida Atlantic University students parade the Taliban flag during a Pro-Palestine Protest<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FAU?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FAU</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Taliban?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Taliban</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Protest?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Protest</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Palestine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Palestine</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/florida?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#florida</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/FAUpresident?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FAUpresident</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottSingerUSA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ScottSingerUSA</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovRonDeSantis</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/FoxNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FoxNews</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/wsvn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@wsvn</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CNN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CNN</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/DailyWireNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DailyWireNews</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/scrowder?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@scrowder</a> <a href="https://t.co/GkIWEmBpgQ">pic.twitter.com/GkIWEmBpgQ</a>
&mdash; Matthew Moldavsky (@SkipTrace404) <a href="https://twitter.com/SkipTrace404/status/1712507771277447305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The protest was sparked by last weekend&#8217;s terrorist attacks on Israel by Hamas that killed <a href="https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/israel-hamas-war-gaza-strip/card/latest-death-toll-in-israel-and-gaza-eoVPFI8WcXN0mzIR73pY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">about</a> 1,300 people, including at least 27 Americans.
Counter-protesters also showed up at the FAU protest on Wednesday, demonstrating their support for Israel. A day earlier, more than 100 pro-Israel demonstrators had <a href="https://cbs12.com/news/local/three-arrested-florida-atlantic-university-israel-hamas-photos-three-arrests-at-fau-during-protest-for-palestine-following-israel-solidarity-march-october-11-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">held</a> a peaceful march on campus.
One female pro-Palestinian protester was arrested and charged with battery as well as battery of an officer after she allegedly elbowed a pro-Israeli protester and then kicked a cop as he was arresting her, Boca News Now <a href="https://bocanewsnow.com/2023/10/12/palestinian-supporter-arrested-at-fau-allegedly-kicked-police-officer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
The university <a href="https://cbs12.com/news/local/three-arrested-florida-atlantic-university-israel-hamas-photos-three-arrests-at-fau-during-protest-for-palestine-following-israel-solidarity-march-october-11-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> two other protesters were arrested as well.
FAU <a href="https://www.fau.edu/president/blog/support-for-israel/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued</a> a statement on Monday saying the university stands with Israel.
&#8220;As ardent supporters of Israel, Florida Atlantic University vehemently opposes the ongoing violence and loss of life witnessed this weekend in Israel and urges an immediate cessation of hostilities to avoid further loss of life,&#8221; FAU said.
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&#8220;We condemn the terrorist attacks that were carried out against civilian communities and we support Israel’s right to defend itself,&#8221; the university said.
&#8220;I defend Israel, I stand with Israel forever, for my whole life, and it&#8217;s sad to see that a terrorist group is doing what they&#8217;re doing to Israeli civilians, innocent people in Israel,&#8221; one young male pro-Israel protester <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xauHmD-6OA&amp;t=1s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> CBS Miami.
Similar protests, both for and against Israel, have broken out in cities across the country, including in <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/10/12/tempers-flare-at-israel-war-protests-at-nyc-universities/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York City</a>, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Atlanta.
The NYPD ramped up security ahead of dueling protests.
Within hours after Hamas&#8217; attacks on Israel began, disturbing, graphic videos circulated showing murdered Israeli civilians as well as Hamas soldiers with hostages, including children, the elderly, and bloodied women who appear to have been sexually assaulted.
Israel is now waging a massive counteroffensive, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/israel-hamas-war-gaza-palestinians-death-toll-ground-offensive-expected/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">launching</a> hundreds of airstrikes in Hamas-controlled territory, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/hamas-tells-gaza-residents-stay-home-israel-ground-offensive-looms-2023-10-13/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mobilizing</a> 300,000 reservists, and putting tanks near the Gaza border.

AFGHANISTAN-CONFLICT

WATCH: Pro-Palestinian Protesters Wave Taliban Flags At Florida Atlantic University

Pro-Palestinian Protesters Wave Taliban Flags At Florida Atlantic University

Conflicts

Florida

Florida Atlantic University

Israel

Palestinians

U.S.

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said during an interview over the weekend that the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/taliban" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Taliban</a> is trying to get involved with launching attacks against <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/israel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Israel</a>.
The remarks come after Palestinian terrorists launched terror attacks against Israel over the weekend that were unprecedented in size, resulting in the deaths of 700+ Israelis with thousands more injured.
The remarks also come after the Taliban retook control of Afghanistan after President Joe Biden&#8217;s disastrous pullout from the country, which resulted in the deaths of Americans, billions of dollars of military equipment seized by Taliban terrorists, and the reorganizing of terrorist groups in Afghanistan.
McCaul made the comments during a Sunday interview on CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union&#8221; with Dana Bash.
&#8220;I have seen indications that the Taliban wants to come to liberate Jerusalem, in their words, to fight the Zionists. It&#8217;s very concerning,&#8221; McCaul said. &#8220;And Hezbollah to the north, they have 100,000 rockets in Lebanon. And so we don&#8217;t want this to escalate, obviously.&#8221;
&#8220;We have seen through [the Taliban&#8217;s] postings that the intent and the desire is there,&#8221; he said. &#8220;If we have a call for jihadism in Jerusalem, that&#8217;s what really concerns me. I think, as it stands right now, the Israeli military capability far outweighs Hamas, and they can take care of this problem. But it will take time to go house to house. But if this lights up into a larger sort of war on jihad &#8212; or jihadist war against the Zionists, if you will, that&#8217;s what always keeps everybody up at night. I don&#8217;t want to see it escalate to that point.&#8221;
McCaul also confirmed Wall Street Journal reporting that Iran was behind the attack, saying that they &#8220;financed this every step of the way.&#8221;
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WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ICYMI?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ICYMI</a> Chairman <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMcCaul?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepMcCaul</a> joined <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSotu?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CNNSotu</a> today to discuss the Hamas terrorists&#39; heinous attacks on Israel. WATCH ⬇️📺 <a href="https://t.co/Orh2OZl2iH">pic.twitter.com/Orh2OZl2iH</a>
&mdash; House Foreign Affairs Committee Majority (@HouseForeignGOP) <a href="https://twitter.com/HouseForeignGOP/status/1711055728750789103?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Afghanistan Evacuation

Foreign Affairs Chairman: Taliban Trying To Send Fighters To Israel To Conduct Terror Attacks

Iran

More than 2,500 people have reportedly died after a pair of 6.3 magnitude earthquakes struck parts of western Afghanistan on Saturday, marking one of the country&#8217;s deadliest tremors in the last 20 years.
The initial quake struck about 20 miles west of the city of Herat — the third largest city in Afghanistan and home to nearly 600,000 people — in the western Herat province, which borders Iran, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) <a href="https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us6000ldpm/executive?utm_source=dlvr.it&amp;utm_medium=twitter&amp;utm_campaign=usgs_quakes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. It was followed by several strong tremors and aftershocks measuring magnitudes of 6.3, 5.9, and 5.5.
&#8220;According to the officials of the Ministry of Disaster Management, the number of martyrs due to the earthquake in Herat has exceeded 2,500,&#8221; Khalid Zadran, a spokesman for Kabul police, <a href="https://twitter.com/khalidzadran01/status/1711023647119507915" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on X. &#8220;Aid teams are working in the area. The affected people in the area still need shelter.&#8221;
State-run media Bakhtar News Agency <a href="https://bakhtarnews.af/en/earthquake-death-toll-in-herat-raised-to-at-least-500/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> at least 12 villages in the Zinda Jan and Ghorian districts of Herat province have been &#8220;completely destroyed.&#8221;
Janan Sayeeq, a spokesman for the Ministry of Disasters, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/afghanistan-earthquake-death-toll-500-red-crescent-2023-10-08/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Reuters early Sunday that the seismic activity killed 2,053 people so far, injured more than 2,000, and destroyed or damaged at least 1,320 houses.
Taliban officials asked local organizations to assist in the impacted areas by providing food and shelter for survivors and the homeless.
&#8220;We ask our wealthy compatriots to give any possible cooperation and help to our afflicted brothers,&#8221; the Taliban posted on X.
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Video and photographs show crowds of survivors gathering in the streets for safety.
Herat resident Abdul Shakor Samadi <a href="https://apnews.com/article/earthquake-herat-afghanistan-ba6f50c0cd0590f179756077f5f01393" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> The Associated Press the impacted area forced mass evacuations from residences and other covered properties.
&#8220;All people are out of their homes,&#8221; Samadi said. &#8220;Houses, offices, and shops are all empty, and there are fears of more earthquakes.&#8221;
On social media, World Health Organization officials in Afghanistan said it dispatched 12 ambulances to Zenda Jan to transport casualties to hospitals.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/WHO?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WHO</a> extends our thoughts to the people of Herat, @Afghanistan who have been affected by the earthquake today. We have sent medicines &amp; medical supplies to the hospitals to support treatment of those wounded. Our warehouse is ready to deploy for additional medicines as needed. <a href="https://t.co/2WkDBophEc">pic.twitter.com/2WkDBophEc</a>
— WHO Afghanistan (@WHOAfghanistan) <a href="https://twitter.com/WHOAfghanistan/status/1710604592382447843?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;As deaths &amp; casualties from the earthquake continue to be reported, teams are in hospitals assisting treatment of wounded &amp; assessing additional needs,&#8221; WHO officials said on X. &#8220;WHO-supported ambulances are transporting those affected, most of them women and children.&#8221;
Local media <a href="https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/death-toll-from-afghanistan-earthquake-exceeds-2-500/3011782">reported</a> that Afghanistan experiences frequent tremors, typically in the Hindukush mountain range, which sits near the confluence of Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates.
Last year, a 5.9 magnitude earthquake in June killed more than 1,000 people, leaving tens of thousands homeless in the Paktika province.

AFGHANISTAN-EARTHQUAKE

More Than 2,500 Dead After Earthquakes Strike Afghanistan

earthquake

Middle East

Natural Disaster

A Gold Star mother who met President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a> on the Memorial Day following her son’s death from the terrorist attack at the Kabul airport said that Biden responded by suggesting she take a photo with him when she wept during their meeting.
Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Christian Knauss was killed when a bomber detonated a bomb at Kabul&#8217;s international airport on August 26, 2021, killing 13 American soldiers. His mother, Paula Knauss Selph, the executive director of the Respect and Remember Foundation, met Biden in the Oval Office at an event for Gold Star families in Washington, D.C. on Memorial Day 2022.
“There&#8217;s been a lot of grief, a lot of grief,” she told <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12422089/Afghanistan-Gold-Star-mom-says-President-Biden-asked-photo-op-wept-Oval-Office-heartbreaking-loss-son-killed-Kabul-bombing-two-years-ago.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Mail.</a> “There&#8217;s nothing like watching your child die in front of you, in front of the world.”
She recalled when she met Biden, he said, “I can understand if you&#8217;re angry.”
“I stood face-to-face with him, eyeball-to-eyeball. I began to weep,” she said, adding that she told him, “It should have never happened this way.”
“He stood there stoically,” she remembered. “Nothing out of his mouth except  — well would you like to get a photo with me?”
Selph told Biden that the only picture she would take with him was if he stood with her at her son&#8217;s tombstone at Arlington National Cemetery. She said Biden answered, “I can&#8217;t do that because Secret Service won&#8217;t let me do that.”
“It&#8217;s a moral disgrace for a president not to have mercy on the people that he serves. It is a moral disgrace,” Selph said, adding that Biden thought the “sad occasion” was a “photo op&#8217;” rather an opportunity to comfort a grieving mother.
“He had the chance to make a difference for my child. On not making decisions and indecisions that cost him his life. And I do hold him accountable,” she concluded.
“Ryan, all of his life was quite certain he wanted to go in the armed forces,” Selph said of her son, who was a member of the JROTC cadet program before serving in the military. “And it is a pleasing thing to me. But throughout his life, he kept that focus. He was so disciplined. He was so smart. &#8230; He was protecting and giving us the opportunity for many people to live out the American dream. That&#8217;s what will long outlive all of us.”
The Respect and Remember Foundation says it has <a href="https://r2factor.org/about/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">three goals</a>: To encourage JROTC and ROTC Cadets with merit scholarships as they graduate and go directly into the military; to support active duty military stationed abroad with care packages and welcome home baskets and provide vacations for active military personnel and families, and to partner with veteran-led organizations connecting veterans together to help combat the high suicide rate among veterans and the adjustments to civilian life needed by veterans encouraging other veterans.

President Biden And VP Harris Attend DNC Event With Reproductive Rights Groups In D.C.

Afghanistan Gold Star Mom: I Wept, Wanted Comfort From Biden. He Suggested A Photo With Him Instead.

Gold Star

Joe Biden

A number of Gold Star family members laid into President Joe Biden and members of his administration, calling them out over the disastrous exit from Afghanistan that took the lives of their loved ones.
At an event in Escondido, California — hosted by Mayor Dane White and Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) — relatives of the thirteen service members killed by the suicide bomber at the Kabul airport on August 26, 2021, joined together to speak publicly about their experiences.
Issa introduced the event, billed as the Afghanistan Gold Star Families Public Forum, saying that while they had officially allotted five minutes for each family member who wanted to speak, no one was going to enforce time limits as long as the families had something to share.
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RIGHT NOW: I am in Escondido where Mayor <a href="https://twitter.com/Dwhite1904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Dwhite1904</a> is hosting <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/C48?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#C48</a>’s <a href="https://twitter.com/repdarrellissa?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@repdarrellissa</a> for an Afghanistan Gold Star Families Public Forum, where family members of those killed during Biden’s chaotic withdrawal are speaking jointly for the first time
(1/xx) <a href="https://t.co/jbRpV73IPG">pic.twitter.com/jbRpV73IPG</a>
&mdash; Matthew Foldi (@MatthewFoldi) <a href="https://twitter.com/MatthewFoldi/status/1688597811062087680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Issa also made it clear that the ultimate goal was to make sure that such a tragedy never happened again: &#8220;Did they have to die? Could we have done something different? &#8230; I only apologize that we didn’t do it sooner.&#8221;
Then the family members began to speak, and they had little if anything positive to say about Biden and the military leaders who had been a part of the decision-making process during the troop drawdown and withdrawal — and most were absolutely furious that the administration had then insisted the withdrawal had been a &#8220;success.&#8221;
SSG Taylor Hoover&#8217;s mother was among those who spoke, and she said that the blame for her son&#8217;s death rested on Biden, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Mark Milley, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and others. &#8220;Incompetent, cowards, evil,&#8221; she said.
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Taylor’s concern was immediately apparent when he got to Afghanistan, Kelly says. He warned her of:
“Chaos, lack of communication, no leadership.” “Command cares nothing for us.”
“What kind of disrespect, what kind of hatred for our military, what kind of mess” would have made…
&mdash; Matthew Foldi (@MatthewFoldi) <a href="https://twitter.com/MatthewFoldi/status/1688604531519795206?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Hoover&#8217;s father spoke as well, saying that the Biden administration &#8220;did not uphold their end of that contract.&#8221;
&#8220;This didn’t need to happen in the manner that it did,&#8221; he added, saying that leadership had &#8220;made a conscious decision that made a chaotic and frantic withdrawal from Afghanistan.&#8221;
He went on to call out those leaders, saying that it was &#8220;nothing short of disgusting and ignorant&#8221; that they had turned around and claimed that the withdrawal had been a success. &#8220;I’m calling out Secretary Blinken, Secretary Austin, General Milley &#8230; and ultimately, the president, and do what our son did: and be a grown ass man &#8230; You all need to resign immediately. Our sons and daughters have more integrity in their little toes than all of them combined.&#8221;
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“I’m calling out Secretary Blinken, Secretary Austin, General Milley,” Whited (who did not give the call to take out the bomber), and “ultimately, the president, and do what our son did: and be a grown ass man.”
“You all need to resign immediately. Our sons and daughters have…
&mdash; Matthew Foldi (@MatthewFoldi) <a href="https://twitter.com/MatthewFoldi/status/1688609003725799424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Nicole Gee&#8217;s mother said she knew no forum would ever bring her daughter back, but her goal in speaking was to make sure that the service members who came afterward would be treated with the respect earned by the 13 who lost their lives that day in Kabul.
&#8220;When our leaders, include the secretary of defense and our commander in chief, called this a ‘success,’… it’s like a knife in the heart,&#8221; she said. &#8220;These deaths were preventable. My daughter could be with us today. To call it a success is the ultimate disrespect. There were 13 avoidable deaths &#8230; This was not a success. What we’re asking for it to stop the insanity and make it better for the next group.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
“These deaths were preventable. My daughter could be with us today.”
“To call it a success is the ultimate disrespect.”
“There were 13 avoidable deaths,” not to mention the wounded. 
“This was not a success.”
“What we’re asking for it to stop the insanity and make it better…
&mdash; Matthew Foldi (@MatthewFoldi) <a href="https://twitter.com/MatthewFoldi/status/1688610971160625152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Dylan Merola&#8217;s mother called Biden &#8220;heartless,&#8221; saying that he had claimed to know how she felt but never once mentioned her son&#8217;s name. &#8220;If they had closed the gate, my son would be alive today,&#8221; she added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
“How could a worldwide event” just vanish from coverage, she asks
“Everything, even the way my son died, was being covered up.”
A colonel told her she wouldn’t want to see the drone footage. “I had already seen my son’s lifeless body,” who is he to say that?
(18/xx)
&mdash; Matthew Foldi (@MatthewFoldi) <a href="https://twitter.com/MatthewFoldi/status/1688615068999757828?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;The commander in chief failed in the oath he took … he failed everybody,&#8221; Humberto Sanchez&#8217;s <a href="https://twitter.com/MatthewFoldi/status/1688617438957699072" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mother said</a>. &#8220;I want the answers, I want the truth &#8230; I want to know this type of failure will not repeat itself again &#8230; I will fight til my last breath to get the truth.&#8221;
Hunter Lopez&#8217;s mother said that she believed there was more to the story — and objected to the notion that it was time to &#8220;turn the page.&#8221;
&#8220;If fault was to be found in someone wearing fatigues and not a suit, they would have been on trial a long time ago,&#8221; she said, adding, &#8220;We do not want a partial truth or truth told in a book release…as Americans, we want this truth. As Gold Star families, we deserve this truth. We deserved it two years ago, and we deserve it today.&#8221;
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“We do not want a partial truth or truth told in a book release…as Americans, we want this truth. As Gold Star families, we deserve this truth. We deserved it two years ago, and we deserve it today.”
(26/xx)
&mdash; Matthew Foldi (@MatthewFoldi) <a href="https://twitter.com/MatthewFoldi/status/1688619804490608643?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Rep. Issa has promised to get to the bottom of the issue, saying, &#8220;The Biden Administration lied to every one of these Gold Star families. That’s why we brought them forward. These are the words the White House doesn’t want you to hear.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The Biden Administration lied to every one of these Gold Star families.
That’s why we brought them forward. These are the words the White House doesn’t want you to hear.
&mdash; Rep. Darrell Issa (@repdarrellissa) <a href="https://twitter.com/repdarrellissa/status/1688656144817180673?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Dignifed Transfer Held For 13 Service Members Killed At Kabul Airport

‘The Ultimate Disrespect’: Gold Star Families Trash Biden Admin Over Afghanistan Withdrawal

Gold Star Families Trash Biden Admin Over Afghanistan Withdrawal

Mark Milley

Bowe Bergdahl, the American soldier who was captured in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/afghanistan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Afghanistan</a> and later traded for five <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/taliban" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Taliban</a> leaders in a prisoner exchange, has had his desertion conviction vacated after a federal judge said the original case could have been clouded by a conflict of interest. 
U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton <a href="https://apnews.com/article/bowe-bergdahl-court-martial-overturned-12da397af78384788a6a09d6499936c0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vacated</a> the desertion conviction for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/bowe-bergdahl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bergdahl</a> this week. Under President Barack Obama, Bergdahl was traded for five Taliban leaders who had been detained in Guantanamo Bay. 
According to Walton, because military judge Jeffrey Nance did not disclose his application to be an immigration judge under then-President Donald Trump, Nance’s presiding over Bergdahl’s trial could be construed as a conflict of interest because Trump had been vocally critical of Bergdahl. 
The judge <a href="https://int.nyt.com/data/documenttools/bergdahl-decision/f32af7e7e7307b1f/full.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that Nance’s neutrality was “undermined” because “he might be inclined to appeal to the president’s expressed interest in the plaintiff’s conviction and punishment when applying for the immigration judge position.” 
“Namely, the military judge in this case submitted a writing sample along with his application, consisting of an order in which he denied the plaintiff’s [Bergdahl] unlawful-command-influence motion which was based on President Trump’s statements, and ruled against the plaintiff — both actions that a reasonable person might view as serving the president’s interest in this case,” Walton’s ruling said. 
Bergdahl was imprisoned and tortured by the Taliban for five years after walking away from his post in 2009. He said that he was going to report poor leadership in his unit, according to the Associated Press. 
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After the Obama administration negotiated for a trade with the Taliban, Bergdahl returned to the U.S. where he was tried and pled guilty to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. Bergdahl escaped jail time but was made to forfeit $10,000 in pay and was dishonorably discharged. 
While campaigning for the GOP presidential nomination, Trump <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-defense-bergdahl-trump/bergdahl-lawyer-slams-candidate-trump-over-traitor-comments-idUKKCN0QP29X20150820" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> Bergdahl a “dirty rotten traitor.” Trump also said that Bergdahl’s sentence was not strong enough, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-blasts-bergdahl-decision-complete-and-total-hank-berrien" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying</a> that it was “a complete and total disgrace to our Country and to our Military.”
Four of the five Taliban members <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/four-taliban-members-released-from-gitmo-in-trade-for-bowe-bergdahl-now-part-of-hardline-afghan-government" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released</a> in exchange for Bergdahl joined the Taliban’s hardline government in Afghanistan after the group took over in the fall of 2021.

Bowe Bergdahl’s Sentencing Continues, After He Pleaded Guilty To Desertion And

Bowe Bergdahl Has Desertion Conviction Vacated By Judge

Bowe Bergdahl

Donald Trump

U.S. Army

The Taliban in Afghanistan have carried out the second known public execution since the terror group took control of the country two years ago, according to a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-taliban-public-execution-f224fd940a8ce347bc89eb08f7d77325" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the Associated Press.
The man, known only as &#8220;Ajmal&#8221; from Kabul, was convicted by the Supreme Court of murdering five people last year in two separate cases. He was executed Tuesday by the son of one of the five men he was convicted of killing. It took place outside of a mosque in the Laghman province using a rifle, the outlet notes.
&#8220;Due to the seriousness of the case, the supreme leader also undertook a final investigation and after discussion with scholars confirmed the execution,&#8221; a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/afghanistans-taliban-administration-executes-man-murder-five-2023-06-20/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> from the Supreme Court said.
Family members of the four other victims were reportedly in attendance. According to the AP, Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada ordered the execution after the case was brought to the country’s Supreme Court, and three different courts reportedly upheld the death sentence.
Last year, Akhundzada told judges in the country to carry out punishments in accordance with sharia law, Reuters reported. The high court also announced last year a return to some of the practices of the Taliban of the 1990s, including public floggings for crimes like adultery and robbery, the outlet adds.
The country took heavy criticism in December from the international community when it carried out its first known public execution since the takeover. In that case, a man was executed in front of a crowd of hundreds, including senior Taliban officials, after he was convicted of murder. A United Nations Human Rights spokesperson <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/12/1131487" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> the event “deeply disturbing.”
In August 2021, President Biden began the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-admin-working-hard-to-not-do-anything-stupid-during-afghanistan-withdrawal-anniversary-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">withdrawal</a> of American military personnel from Afghanistan after a presence in the country for 20 years. Critics called the withdrawal &#8220;disastrous,&#8221; saying it was one of the worst moments in his presidency. Many Americans and allies were left in the country, along with billions of dollars worth of weapons and equipment.
On August 26, 2021, 13 American servicemembers were killed during the Kabul airlift.
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Since the Taliban’s takeover, over 200 news organizations have had their doors closed, women have largely been prohibited from attending school, the economy shrank by 30% as of October 2022, and almost all Afghans were living in poverty, <a href="https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/taliban-afghanistan#:~:text=In%20an%20October%202022%20report,some%20form%20of%20food%20insecurity." target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Council on Foreign Relations.
Persecution against Christians has also been rising. According to a November <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/persecution-of-christians-rising-in-at-least-18-countries-of-particular-concern-report-finds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the Catholic group Aid to the Church In Need, the rise of the Taliban has been “driving Christians underground,” where they “live in fear of arrest, torture, and execution.”

Taliban Carries Out Second Public Execution In Afghanistan Since Takeover

Crime

Death Penalty

The Biden administration claimed on Tuesday that the extremist Islamic <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/taliban" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Taliban</a> government that runs Afghanistan killed the leader of the ISIS affiliate who was responsible for orchestrating the attack at the Kabul airport in 2021 that killed 13 U.S. soldiers and nearly 200 Afghan nationals.
Administration officials claimed that the Taliban led a recent a ground offensive against ISIS-K that resulted in the death of the leader, who they refused to name, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/25/us/politics/isis-leader-killed-kabul-airport-bombing.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times</a>.
The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/04/25/taliban-isis-abbey-gate-afghanistan-bombing/aba0dd52-e3b0-11ed-9696-8e874fd710b8_story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that neither the U.S. nor the Taliban was initially aware that the leader had been killed until days after the offensive.
U.S. officials said that they had “high confidence” that the leader had been killed from intelligence that was likely based on &#8220;informants, electronic intercepts or information from allied spy services,&#8221; the Times added.
The report was careful to note that officials provided &#8220;no evidence to support that conclusion or other details about his purported death.&#8221;
The administration began reaching out to American families whose loved ones serving in the U.S. military were killed during the attack.
“They couldn’t give me his name; they couldn’t tell me the details of the operation,” said Darin Hoover, the father of Staff Sgt. Taylor Hoover of the Marine Corps, adding that the call left him “frustrated, again.”
“I want the administration to take some accountability and responsibility for this,” Hoover said. “Say, ‘We screwed up. It’s not going to happen again.’ It can’t happen again. He gave his life for this. This is what he wanted to do, and this is what happened — and now we’re all being treated like garbage.”
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In a separate interview, Hoover said, “Whatever happens, it’s not going to bring Taylor back and I understand that. About the only thing his mom and I can do now is be an advocate for him. All we want is the truth. And we’re not getting it. That’s the frustrating part.”
Tyler Vargas-Andrews, a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/marines" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marine</a> sergeant during the U.S. withdrawal from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/afghanistan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Afghanistan</a>, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-marine-breaks-down-recounting-afghanistan-pullout-terror-attack-that-killed-13-u-s-soldiers-catastrophe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">broke down</a> last month in front of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs while recounting his experience watching 13 U.S. troops killed by a suicide bomber.
A Marine sniper at the time, Vargas-Andrews and his team were ordered from Saudi Arabia to Kabul, Afghanistan, in August 2021 to oversee the final weeks of the U.S. withdrawal.
On August 22, either ISIS or Taliban militants conducted a “test run” for a terror attack with an improvised explosive device (IED). On August 26, Vargas-Andrews’ team received a description of the suspected terrorist bomber and, later that day, identified a man near the Abbey gate who fit the description and “consistently and nervously” kept looking at the Marines stationed near the gate.
Vargas-Andrews said his team asked twice for permission to take out the suspected terrorist. The first time, he was denied. The second time, the battalion commander, who came to Abbey Gate to see the suspect himself, replied, “I don’t know” if they had the authority to take out the suspect.
“Myself and my team leader asked very harshly, ‘Well, who does? Because this is your responsibility, sir,’” Vargas-Andrews told Congress. The commander responded that he would find out.
“We received no update and never got our answer. Eventually the individual disappeared,” Vargas-Andrews said. “To this day, we believe he was the suicide bomber.”
Tim Pearce contributed to this report.

Biden Admin Claims Taliban Killed ISIS Leader Behind Suicide Bombing That Killed 13 U.S. Troops

Biden Administration

ISIS

This article is adapted from today’s Morning Wire Afternoon Update. To listen to the podcast version, click <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. 

Taxpayers Funding Taliban?
On Wednesday, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/afghanistan-inspector-general-warns-u-s-may-be-funding-taliban" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction John Sopko</a> warned before a House hearing that U.S. taxpayers may be aiding the Taliban in Afghanistan. Here with more is Daily Wire reporter Tim Pearce.
<blockquote>Sopko told Congress that since the Taliban takeover in August 2021, the U.S. government has sought to support the Afghan people without providing benefits for the Taliban. Those efforts have failed, however. Sopko said, “it is clear from our work that the Taliban is using various methods to divert U.S. aid dollars.”</blockquote>
&#8220;Unfortunately as I sit here today, I cannot assure this committee or the American taxpayer we are not currently funding the Taliban,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨 John Sopko, Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction: &quot;As I sit here today, I cannot assure this committee or the American taxpayer we are not currently funding the Taliban.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/D4PIlzUVZ7">pic.twitter.com/D4PIlzUVZ7</a>
&mdash; RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1648698013014175746?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Sopko said one of the hurdles to a solution is that key U.S. Agencies, such as USAID, don’t comply with oversight requests.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Inspector General John Sopko torches the Biden administration for their &quot;unprecedented&quot; refusal to cooperate with investigators over Biden&#39;s botched Afghanistan withdrawal <a href="https://t.co/nkbTCW6ndy">pic.twitter.com/nkbTCW6ndy</a>
&mdash; RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1648699560892702722?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
GOP Debt Ceiling Offer
The U.S. House Republicans will propose lifting the debt limit by $1.5 trillion or until March 31, 2024, whichever comes first. The proposal comes after months of stalemate between Congress and the Biden White House. The president has demanded that the GOP offer a compromise, but has refused to meet with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to discuss any potential action to prevent the U.S. from defaulting on its debt.
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Pentagon Throws Cold Water On Critics Of Classified Docs Leaker’s Age
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin threw cold water on critics who question why the alleged classified documents leaker, National Guard Airman Jack Teixeira, would have access to U.S. secrets, given that he’s only 21  years old. Austin said that age is not a concern, as evidenced by the average age of military members.
&#8220;The vast majority of our military is young,&#8221; he said, <a href="https://justthenews.com/videos/defense-sec-austin-age-suspect-pentagon-leaks-case-not-issue?utm_source=mux&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=tw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Just The News. &#8220;It’s not exceptional that young people are doing important things in our military. That’s really not the issue.&#8221;
Teixeira was arrested last week in Massachusetts after being identified by The New York Times and The Washington Post as the Discord leaker. He has been charged on two counts, and now a U.S. court is determining whether the Airman should be kept in jail as he awaits trial.
Alabama Shooting Update
Authorities have arrested two suspects <a href="https://apnews.com/article/dadeville-alabama-shooting-birthday-sweet-16-a1ec4438d75a19dd2d36ca88eb28dc2f" target="_blank" rel="noopener">charged</a> with killing four and leaving 32 injured at an Alabama Sweet 16 party Saturday night in Dadeville. The two suspects are ages 16 and 17 and will be tried as adults. The two teenagers from Tuskegee are charged with four counts of reckless murder each. Dadeville’s Police Chief promised justice for the victims while speaking to the press.
New York City Parking Garage Collapse Kills One Person
A Manhattan parking garage <a href="https://abc7ny.com/parking-garage-collapse-pace-university-financial-district-lower-manhattan/13153122/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">collapsed</a> on Tuesday, killing one person and injuring five others. According to the City Department of Buildings records, the financial district area garage had six open building violations, three of which were classified as “hazardous.” Officials say they believe it was a structural collapse, but the local district attorney has not confirmed. A witness says she first thought the noise was coming from a freight elevator.
Florida Bans Sexuality And Gender Identity Teaching For All Grades
The state of Florida has expanded its ban on teaching about sexuality and gender identity to all grade levels in public schools. The decision comes <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/19/politics/florida-bans-teaching-gender-identity-sexual-orientation/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">after</a> a law signed last year by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis banned such topics for K through third-grade students. The board <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2023/04/19/florida-bans-teaching-gender-identity-sexuality/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted</a> Wednesday to adopt a new rule that says Florida teachers in grades 4 through 12 “shall not intentionally provide classroom instruction … on sexual orientation or gender identity” unless it is required by the state or a part of a sexual education course that requires parental permission, according to The Washington Post.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Wednesday

Wednesday Afternoon Update: Taxpayers Funding Taliban? Plus, GOP Debt Ceiling Offer And Alabama Shooting Update

Alabama

General

Morning Wire

Podcast

A government watchdog told Congress on Wednesday the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/taliban" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Taliban</a> may be stealing money from the billions of dollars from U.S. taxpayers meant to help the people of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/afghanistan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Afghanistan</a>.
Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) John Sopko issued the warning during a hearing before the House Oversight Committee alongside other inspectors general.
&#8220;Unfortunately, as I sit here today, I cannot assure this committee or the American taxpayer we are not currently funding the Taliban,&#8221; Sopko said in his opening remarks.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨 John Sopko, Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction: &quot;As I sit here today, I cannot assure this committee or the American taxpayer we are not currently funding the Taliban.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/D4PIlzUVZ7">pic.twitter.com/D4PIlzUVZ7</a>
&mdash; RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1648698013014175746?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Nor can I assure you that the Taliban are not diverting the money we are sending from the intended recipients, which are the poor Afghan people,&#8221; he added.
The focus of the hearing, as described by the GOP-led panel, was the Biden administration&#8217;s <a href="https://oversight.house.gov/hearing/the-biden-administrations-disastrous-withdrawal-from-afghanistan-part-i-review-by-the-inspectors-general/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;disastrous&#8221; withdrawal</a> in 2021 when <a href="https://www.militarytimes.com/flashpoints/afghanistan/2022/08/26/biden-commemorates-heroes-killed-1-year-ago-in-kabul-airport-attack/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">13 U.S. service members</a> and more than 100 Afghan civilians were killed in a blast outside the airport during the evacuation.
After 20 years of war, the Taliban quickly toppled the U.S.-backed Afghan government and regained control of the country. <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/27/politics/afghan-weapons-left-behind/index.html#:~:text=Approximately%20%247%20billion%20of%20military,of%20Defense%20viewed%20by%20CNN." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Billions of dollars</a> in military equipment, which the U.S. sent to Afghan security forces that were fighting the Taliban, were left behind. The Taliban recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/taliban-releases-photos-of-the-u-s-equipment-they-seized-from-bidens-disastrous-pullout" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released photos</a> showing hundreds of U.S. military vehicles it claims to have commandeered.
In written testimony for the hearing, Sopko <a href="https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/SIGAR-Testimony-23-22-TY.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced his team planned</a> to release a 2023 High Risk List report that outlines &#8220;five serious risks to the more than $8 billion the United States has provided or otherwise made available to the Afghan people since the U.S. withdrawal.&#8221;
The testimony outlines several ways the Taliban may be diverting funds intended for the Afghan people to itself, including imposing customs charges on shipments coming into the country, charging taxes and fees directly on NGOs, and diverting funds away from groups &#8220;the Taliban considers hostile and toward groups they favor.&#8221;
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In addition to criticizing opacity from the United Nations, Sopko accused the State Department and United States Agency for International Development of refusing to cooperate with audits and other inquiries, which he says is hampering SIGAR&#8217;s ability to oversee funds spent on Afghanistan.
&#8220;In sum, due to the refusal of State and USAID to fully cooperate with SIGAR, I cannot report to this Committee or the American people on the extent to which our government may be funding the Taliban and other nefarious groups with U.S. taxpayer dollars,&#8221; he wrote.

John F. Sopko, special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction

Afghanistan Inspector General Warns U.S. May Be Funding Taliban

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