TWO US SENATORS THREATEN TO STOP AID TO AFGHANISTAN
Washington, 16 Ramadan 1434/24 July 2013 (MINA) – Two US senators have threatened to stop giving funding to Afghanistan, if Kabul continues imposing tax on American military equipment being shipped out of the country.
During a Senate appropriations subcommittee on Tuesday, Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) and Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) proposed in an amendment, which was included in the draft bill of next year’s budget for the State Department and foreign operations, to withhold $5 of foreign aids to Afghanistan for every $1 in fees imposed on the US.
Leahy said “I’ve seen some stupid things from that government,” adding, “I’ve seen some things that make you wonder what universe they live in – but this went beyond the pale,” according to The Washington Post.
Also, Graham called Kabul’s position “ridiculous,” saying the amendment should “send a message to the Karzai government”, according to Azerbaijan onlinde media apa.com reports monitored by Mi’raj News Agency (MINA).
Afghanistan recently closed its land borders to US shippers for almost one week in order to force the US to pay fines as they failed to present properly processed customs forms for thousands of containers which are currently being taken out of the country.
The move has caused the US to resort to air shipping which costs Washington much more than ground shipping.
The Washington Post reported last week that Kabul had already slapped the American military with $70 million in exit fines. For each shipping container that does not have validated customs forms, the US has to pay $1,000.
In May, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction said that the Afghan government has imposed about $1 billion in business taxes and fines on US contractors as well as further hundreds of millions in improper fees.
The United States is expected to begin withdrawing its troops and equipment out of Afghanistan during the next 18 months. (T/P09/E1).
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA).
