U.S. Indirectly Funds Taliban

A new Congressional report reveals that security arrangements between the U.S. military and contractors in Afghanistan funnel tens of millions of dollars to warlords, corrupt public officials and the Taliban. The report states that the on-the-ground effects of a $2.2 billion transport contract has contributed to a spike in warlord activity and "may be a significant source of funding for insurgents," according to the committee’s findings. The Defense department is allegedly well aware that money gets into the wrong hands, but when notified of the issue, military officials responded "with indifference and inaction," according to the report. "The findings of this report range from sobering to shocking," wrote Rep. John Tierney of Massachusetts in the introduction. Meanwhile, a top Afghan contractor said the indirect funding is an unfortunate result of political reality in the country: "If they want their trucks moved from A to B they are going to go through areas that are controlled by certain people and if you don't talk to them your trucks are going to get blown up.”