BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 5. The decision by the Trump administration to shut down USAID became one of the key steps aimed at stopping such illegal activities, Azerbaijani analyst Azer Garayev told Trend.
He pointed out that this decision came out of left field, even
though it had been on the back burner for quite some time in US
political circles.
As Garayev stressed, the current US administration believes that
instead of having America's best interests at heart, USAID has been
up to its neck in murky and unlawful dealings.
"Donald Trump's decision was not only aimed at saving financial resources. Various independent studies have shown that USAID was involved in opaque, and sometimes illegal, activities in several countries. This includes investments in biological weapons research, funding drug production in Afghanistan, election interference, and other serious accusations.
Trump received full support from American billionaire Elon Musk, the head of the 'Department of Government Efficiency' (Doge), an institution created to increase government efficiency. Musk called USAID a criminal organization and raised serious questions about its activities, which made the closure of the organization inevitable," the analyst explained.
He made it clear that one of the biggest cans of worms tied to USAID's activities revolves around the funding of biological laboratories in specific countries.
"According to the official US position, these laboratories were created for 'health and science research'. However, some data suggests that USAID provided financial support to organizations conducting biological weapons research through these laboratories.
Specifically, some laboratories located in Eastern Europe and Asia were identified by Russia and China as parts of secret US biological weapons programs. Some documents published in 2024 prove that USAID was involved in funding these laboratories.
At the same time, according to some reports, USAID's agricultural projects and investments in Afghanistan created conditions for growing drug-containing crops. While the agency officially claims to be helping create alternative economic opportunities for farmers, in reality, this mechanism supported heroin production," the political scientist noted.
He also mentioned that it’s high time to keep an eye on USAID's doings in the South Caucasus, especially when it comes to the Karabakh separatists.
"Azerbaijan has repeatedly stated that USAID, through Armenia, helps the separatists in Karabakh. While the official mission of USAID was 'development and humanitarian assistance,' some political goals were hidden behind this. Samantha Power, the head of USAID, maintained close ties with Armenian separatists for many years and regularly provided them with financial support.
During her leadership, USAID's activities in Armenia expanded significantly, and the organization indirectly supported the separatist regime in Karabakh. Power tried to strengthen the positions of the separatists through various programs and grants, proving that USAID acts as an organization serving political goals.
Although these steps contradicted official US policy and international law, they were long ignored. The decision by the Trump administration to close USAID became one of the important steps to halt such illegal activities," Garayev added.
He emphasized that USAID was also in the thick of things when it came to meddling in elections across different nations.
"There are opinions that this agency supported various non-governmental organizations, particularly in Latin America, Africa, and Eastern Europe, with the aim of changing governments. It was one of the tools used by the Biden administration to overthrow or weaken governments that did not align with their personal interests. The current administration believes that involving USAID in such activities is an unnecessary waste of American taxpayers' money and an undemocratic approach," the analyst concluded.
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