American taxpayers have provided $2.5 billion in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan without the U.S. government knowing where that money is going‚ according to government officials.The special inspector general for Afghanistan Reconstruction‚ John Sopko‚ reportedly told the House Foreign Affairs Committee that cooperation from the Biden administration and its State Department has been minimal. According to the Epoch Times‚ the Biden government has resisted efforts by the inspector to pin down where the foreign aid has gone."The State Department has basically obfuscated‚ delayed reports ... ordered their employees not to talk to us‚" Sopko said. "We’ve gone out of our way to work with them but we're still not getting cooperation."Sopko stated point-blank that "we do not know‚ period" how the humanitarian aid is being used. He also alleged that information from multiple sources — including the U.S. Agency for International Development — has indicated that the "Taliban is diverting or otherwise benefiting" from the aid — not the intended beneficiaries. Inspector Sopko also noted that specifically‚ the State Department's Thomas West has ignored "countless entreaties to meet" to "share information‚ learn what's going on and what their issues are so we can try to help them."Thomas' official title is Special Representative for Afghanistan and Deputy Assistant Secretary Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs."Many would like to believe we are aiding Afghan people while successfully bypassing the Taliban. This can be viewed as a useful fiction‚ as it ignores the fact that it’s impossible to entirely bypass the Taliban regime‚" Sopko continued.Non-government organizations have all reported widespread misappropriation of funds by the Taliban‚ the inspector explained. He also noted that the Taliban "pressures the U.N. and other NGOs to issue contracts to Taliban-affiliated companies‚ to partner with Taliban-affiliated NGOs‚ and to not partner with other NGOs.""Our research confirms those who control the guns control the aid‚" he added.The Taliban was recently pictured celebrating the second anniversary of the United States' botched withdrawal in 2021 with crowds lining the streets and militants on vehicles showing off guns and flags.Additionally‚ Taliban soldiers were shown in November 2023 videos patrolling the streets of Kabul‚ Afghanistan‚ on rollerblades. Soldiers were riding alongside Ford pickup trucks converted into what are typically referred to as a technical‚ or a non-standard tactical vehicle."There are no good answers‚" Inspector General Sopko concluded about the situation. "There are no good alternatives when providing humanitarian assistance in an environment like Afghanistan‚ only trade-offs."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) brilliantly dismissed a pro-ceasefire protester on Thursday who was clearly not open to reason.While walking outside of the Democratic National Committee's headquarters in Washington‚ D.C.‚ Sherman was accosted by Eva Borgwardt‚ an activist who works with IfNotNow‚ an organization that helped organize the violent protest outside the DNC's HQ earlier in the week.As Borgwardt pontificated her demands for a ceasefire‚ Sherman told Borgwardt that she needs to support the disarming of Hamas. And when she continued to talk over him‚ Sherman made it clear he did not have the patience to deal with her."Excuse me! Why are you accosting me? Leave me alone! I am allowed to stand here without listening to you because you're not my constituent‚" Sherman said.Borgwardt appeared astonished at Sherman's reaction as she begged him to listen to her."Please leave me alone!" Sherman insisted. "Do I need to ask the Capitol Police for protection or will you leave me alone?" — (@) But Borgwardt was undeterred‚ and for a moment‚ Sherman entertained the activist. He confirmed that he supports a ceasefire in Gaza‚ but only if Hamas is disarmed. Borgwardt‚ however‚ refused to endorse disarming the terrorists‚ claiming they are "empowered by decades of siege and blockade" by Israel.With her refusal to endorse disarmament‚ Sherman finally had enough‚ and he walked away as Borgwardt emotionally shouted at him."Sir‚ please call for Netanyahu to stop saying they are going to raze Gaza to the ground and they'e fighting human animals as they kill over 11‚000 children. Why won't you call on Netanyahu to say that! That's what's driving this right now!" she screamed.There is no evidence that 11‚000 children in Gaza have died in the war.Sherman has not been shy in expressing his criticism of activists like Borgwardt. On Wednesday‚ Sherman referred to the pro-ceasefire activists who violently clashed with Capitol Police outside the DNC HQ as "pro-terrorist" and "pro-Hamas."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A "sugar daddy" found himself in a treacherous love triangle after his alleged mistress reportedly fired shots at a car with the Florida man's full-time girlfriend and their 1-year-old child inside. Around 9:05 p.m. on Nov. 4‚ police responded to reports of a shooting in an apartment complex in Daytona Beach‚ Florida. A woman informed officers with the South Daytona Police Department that she had picked up dinner from a local Wendy's fast food restaurant and noticed a silver Acura near her house that she said she had seen multiple times over recent days‚ according to WKMG-TV. The woman allegedly parked her car near the silver car. After a few minutes‚ her boyfriend – along with a different young woman – exited an apartment unit‚ according to the arrest affidavit. The man is also the father of the woman's 1-year-old child. The woman reportedly got out of her car to confront the couple‚ and the two women got into a verbal argument‚ according to witnesses. Then the woman heard someone shout‚ "She has a gun!" The woman fled back to her vehicle‚ according to police.At that moment‚ the other woman who had walked out with the man – later identified as Zehra Percy – allegedly went to the trunk of the Acura to retrieve a gun‚ according to surveillance footage reviewed by investigators. Police say Percy fired at least two rounds at the woman's car – where her baby was seated inside. The woman and her baby were not injured in the shooting‚ deputies said.The shooter fled the crime scene with an unnamed person‚ according to the affidavit. Percy was pulled over during a traffic stop on Nov. 10. WTVT reported‚ "Deputies asked Percy for consent to search her car to find the gun‚ but she said she returned it to her 'sugar daddy.'"Investigators determined that Percy was the "mistress" of the victim’s boyfriend.Percy‚ 20‚ was taken into custody. She was allegedly identified by witnesses in a police lineup. She was booked into the Volusia County Jail on a felony charge of shooting into a vehicle. Percy was released later the same day after posting a $5‚000 bond. Percy is scheduled to return to court for her arraignment on Dec. 5. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

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