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The House Committee on Oversight and Accountability opened a new probe into the Department of Defense on Monday regarding the process and policies of U.S. military aid and weapons. This comes amid “emerging reports” that have claimed terrorist groups, like Hamas, might be using American resources.
“There are emerging reports that Hamas and other terrorist organizations may have obtained American-made weapons. If true, this is unfortunately not the first time military resources purchased by American tax dollars have fallen into the wrong hands,” the committee posted on X.
The House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., both spearheaded the new probe by sending a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
In the letter to the secretary, the lawmakers outlined their concerns regarding the new reports, as well as requesting a briefing with the DoD in order to understand the process and policies the department is following.
“The Committee has seen reports that U.S.-manufactured weapons are being redistributed and resold in secondary markets to terrorist organizations, including Hamas,” the letter stated. “Therefore, the Committee seeks a staff briefing on DoD procedures for preventing, addressing, and mitigating weapon diversion abroad.”
Within their post on X, the committee listed examples of reports that cross American resources with terrorist organizations. Notably, two examples crossed with Ukrainian and Israeli intelligence forces, both of which America has heavily invested in.
Ukrainian intelligence officials reportedly alleged earlier this month that Russia repurposed both U.S. and EU weapons from the Russia-Ukraine war, giving them to Hamas in order to discredit Ukraine, according to Business Insider.
Likewise, the House Committee also claimed that an Israeli Defense Forces commander had echoed similar concerns in June 2023 regarding “Palestinian groups in the Gaza strip” who “possessed U.S. weapons” that had been “seized by the Taliban” during the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal.
Since the Russia-Ukraine war began, Congress has directed more than $75 billion in assistance, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. The Biden administration is now additionally asking for Congress to pass a new aid package totaling almost $106 billion for Ukraine and Israel, according to NPR.