Pentagon to Transfer $1.5 Billion to Border Wall

Epoch Times-

WASHINGTON—Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan has approved the transfer of $1.5 billion to build more than 80 miles of barriers on the border with Mexico, U.S. officials said on May 10, including taking about $600 million from an account meant for Afghan security forces.

“The funds were drawn from a variety of sources, including cost savings, programmatic changes, and revised requirements, and therefore will have minimal impact on force readiness,” Shanahan said in a statement.

Shanahan said that the U.S. military had more than 4,000 service members on the border, along with 19 aircraft.

A U.S. official said the latest transfer would include $604 million from funds for the Afghan security forces.

The United States had appropriated $4.9 billion in support for those forces this year. The official said the money was taken from that account because they found savings in contracts.

“It took less money to meet the policy commitment than we thought,” another U.S. official said, adding this was not the first time money had been reprogrammed from the account.

The United States is in talks with the Taliban to end the 17-year-long war. U.S. and Taliban negotiators wrapped up their sixth round of peace talks on Thursday with “some progress” on a draft agreement for when foreign troops might withdraw.

The remainder of the money will come from a chemical demilitarization program, a retirement account, funds for Pakistan and Air Force programs.

Immigration is a signature issue of Trump’s presidency and re-election campaign. He declared a national emergency in order to redirect funding to build a border wall without Congress’ approval, and his fellow Republicans in Congress sustained his veto of legislation that would have stopped it.

more here