A year and a few months have passed since the collapse of the republic government and the beginning of Taliban rule over Afghanistan. The failure and collapse of the republic system brought about the collapse of domestic and foreign institutions, the drain of capital from the country, the closure of many parts of domestic businesses, the reduction of exports and imports, and the overall reduction of money-making jobs. The defeat of the republic system led to general bankruptcy in the country. But the Taliban regime, which has both military and civilian forces, apparently has not yet faced a shortage of money. The Vehicles in civil offices and also the army, which are very expensive to use, are active and used as in the republic period. During the republic government, almost all the costs of these sectors were being paid by the supporting countries. The question that is raised for the citizens of Afghanistan is, where and how does the Taliban group finance this wide and long system of the army and all its other departments?
During the republic era, when the country was run by trained forces, Afghanistan provided only thirty percent of its domestic consumption annually from its income. Other parts of its needs, such as the cost of the army, reconstruction, and all related parts, were provided by the international community, especially the United States of America. However, the Taliban group has not yet become an official government, and while Afghanistan’s weak economy has almost collapsed in the recent upheaval, it has been able to provide and pay for the military and civil forces. Another questionable issue is maintaining the value of Afghanistan’s current currency. Even though Afghanistan does not have an official and regular army, it lacks a legal government and sovereignty, its relations with the rest of the world are cut off, its exports and imports have decreased to almost zero, national mistrust has reached its peak, and therefore capital and capitalists and investors have left the country. The value of the currency is controlled and kept relatively stable. The reason for this cannot be anything other than sending weekly packages of dollars and technical assistance to the Taliban group.
The US humanitarian aid for the people of Afghanistan is one of the weekly news of the domestic media. The exact statistics of the amount that has been deposited to the Afghanistan International Bank in the last year is about the same as the aid during the republic period. Almost every week, the Taliban group receives a large amount of money in Kabul, which is not known in which sector they use it. The United States of America declares this aid as humanitarian for the people of Afghanistan.
During one year of their rule, the Taliban group has not used this money for investment, establishing a school or hospital, building a bridge, or any other type of settlement in any part of the country. At least no report has been published on how the US humanitarian aid is used for the people of Afghanistan so they show that the Taliban spent that money to solve the problems of the people of Afghanistan.
According to the way of injecting dollars into Afghanistan under the administration of the Taliban, the US humanitarian aid is for the Taliban, not for the people of Afghanistan; Because there has been no investigation and calculation of how this money was spent in the last year. It is not clear where the US dollars will be spent during the rule of the Taliban group. In this sense, the weekly delivery of millions of dollars to Afghanistan, which is managed by the Taliban group, has no other meaning than their relations with this group, approval of this group, and help to maintain and survive the regime of this group.
The United States of America, which right now calls the Islamic Republic of Iran a dictator, and with all its strengths supports the men and women who oppose it. In the neighborhood of the Islamic Republic of Iran, it has extended a hand of friendship, cooperation, and help to the most undemocratic, rootless, and unpopular government in the world, that is, the Taliban. Compared to the ruling mullahs in Kabul, the Islamic Republic of Iran is a democratic paradise. If the United States of America is serious about democracy and freedom, it should clarify its relationship and the aid it sends to Kabul; Because it cooperates with a regime, and under the pretext of humanitarian aid for the people of Afghanistan, it gives its millions of dollars to a group that has committed the worst crimes and the most horrific anti-human events in Afghanistan in the last 20 years.
Habib Hamidzadah – Contributor and Opinion Writer, Hasht-e Subh Daily
