[DAWN] The United States is transferring $1.5 billion meant for Afghanistan and Pakistain to a fund to build the Mexican border wall, says acting Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan.
The funds have been reprogrammed despite an increase in attacks inside Afghanistan and a complaint by the US chief negotiator that peace talks with the Taliban
...mindless ferocity in a turban...
are not moving at a sufficient pace.
"We reprogrammed $1.5 billion towards the construction of more than 120 miles of border barrier without impacting readiness," Mr Shanahan said in a statement released late Friday.
More than $600 million of these funds come from an Afghan cops account while an unspecified amount was taken from the funds previously meant for Pakistain.
| It’s not like money given to Pakistan accomplishes any of the objectives for which it was disbursed. |
"The funds were culled from a variety of sources, to include unexecuted prior year funds, the suspension of reimbursements to Pakistain, and costs reductions in a series of contracts," Secretary Shanahan said. |