So now we’re starving Afghans to death

Chew Toy McCoy

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Look, before the collapse of the previous Afghan government, the banks there were forced to behave was because most of the money floating around the system was from donor nations and was disbursed only when th donors could validate the need for disbursement. International banks still did some business there because they felt there were adequate safeguards against blatant looting, no matter that corruption has always been an issue in Afghan banking.

But when the government fell, a lot of local banks were then just looted by factions whose loyalty to Taliban was a matter of local convenience... you know, the convenience of being tired of seeing your tribesmen slaughtered if they disagreed with the Taliban's better-supplied power to enforce local rule.

So then the only money floating around in the banking system inside Aghanistan was mostly whatever the drug and weapons trade afforded since that was internal -- cash, laundered or otherwise, on the barrelhead-- and not subject to international audit.

On the outside, internaitonal banks were and still are like "uh, yeah, well you go first..."

What's still being impeded for the most part is regular transfers through the international system, yes. There are ways around that, and it's true that both individuals and donor nations have used them in the past --person to person "hawala" network transfers and the like-- to get cash into the scene wherever sanctions or just bankng risk aversion has limited normal commerce, like in Mali for instance. But in late December the UN did come to agreements on some exemptions to sanctions in Afghanistan so that the flow of humanitarian aid could resume.

That the US refuses to play ball by releasing frozen assets is a separate thing, though, and why should they let that money go? It was likely either ill-gotten to begin with or else from the USA Treasury for openers. If we could guarantee it would go directly for bread and blankets to ordinary Afghans, that's one thing. But we can't right now, and we don't need to help the Taliban amp up their bragging game by just rolling over and saying yeah you won the war and by the way --since 'to the victor, the spoils'-- here's a bunch of cash that was stashed over here until the previous government could justify laying hands on it.

Well as it happens the previous government did not come up with validated requests for disbursement of all tthat happens to remain in those now frozen assets. I don't see how the Taliban could do that either, since they are merely claiming it's Afghanistan's money and should just be turned over to the current government.

It's been clear all along that tribal compliance with Taliban requests to change sides and stand with them was a matter of wanting to survive as the war dragged on and on. It's not like the Afghans are in love with Taliban since the fall of the other central government they despised. From their POV the central government now is just another cesspit of corruption. After all, they were bought off in the provinces so they know how it works.

It sure would be nice if our government held the same standards when handing over more money to the already grotesquely rich.

“So you’re going to make sure this makes it to the little guy, right?”

“Of course”

“It won’t be like the last 100 times we’ve done this?”

“Totally. We’re done with that. Promise.”

“Good enough. Here you go.”
 

yaxomoxay

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https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/140...san-Saring-a-Deah-Sarvain-Amid-Harsh-Winer-US

Good luck finding a major western news source reporting on this. There’s no military solution to this so why would they. If they want us to lift sanctions then they are going to have to pass standards that we don’t even hold our allies in the region up to. These are our real American values.
Thank you for sharing this, seriously.

As I certainly understand that dropping sanctions wouldn’t necessarily solve much because of the fucking Talibans, this shows another consequence of the botched operations in that country. What a shame; you have no idea how much I am saddened by the whole thing.
 
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