WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th May, 2019) The US Department of Defense has transferred $1.5 billion from an Afghanistan-related program among others in order to fund the construction of a wall on the US-Mexico border, Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan told reporters on Friday.
"There was a billion and a half Dollars that was reprogramed," Shanahan said. "Some of it did come from money we were saving, or whatever terminology you want to use, from Afghanistan."
Pentagon spokesperson Tom Crosson said in a statement on Friday that the Defense Department was drawing $1.5 billion from a variety of sources within the department including "cost savings, programmatic changes and revised requirements."
The funds will be used to replace 78.25 miles of border fencing in the states of Arizona and Texas, the spokesman added.
Shanahan said that he would not be reprogramming any more funds for the border wall. He added that US military readiness was not impacted by the relocation of funds for the fence on the US southern border.
Shanahan said he will meet with Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan to discuss a strategy to have an effective operation on the border.
