Afghanistan’s former president on Sunday called a White House order to keep $3.5 billion in Afghan assets held in the U.S. for families of 9/11 victims of an atrocity against the Afghan people.
U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday signed an executive order that seeks to split the $7 billion between funding humanitarian aid for cash-strapped Afghanistan and creating a trust fund to compensate the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Karzai said the Afghan people share the grief of the American people who have suffered due to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, yet no Afghan was involved in the attack and therefore Biden has to reconsider his decision.
“The people of Afghanistan share the pain of the American people, share the pain of the families and loved ones of those who died, who lost their lives in the tragedy of September 11,” said Karzai.
“We commiserate with them (but) Afghan people are as many victims as those families who lost their lives ... Withholding money or seizing money from the people of Afghanistan in their name is unjust and unfair and an atrocity against Afghan people.”
The United States, following its exit from Afghanistan in August 2021, has frozen more than $9 billion of assets of DAB, a move widely seen as the major factor leading to the current economic crisis in the war-torn Asian country.
President Biden’s order signed last Friday freed $7 billion in Afghan assets currently held in the US, to be divided between 9/11 victims and humanitarian aid to Afghans.
9/11 victims and their families have legal claims against the Taliban and the $7 billion in the US banking system. The $3.5 billion was set aside for a US court to decide whether it can be used to settle claims by families of 9/11 victims. US courts would also have to sign off before the release of humanitarian assistance money.
U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday signed an executive order that seeks to split the $7 billion between funding humanitarian aid for cash-strapped Afghanistan and creating a trust fund to compensate the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Karzai said the Afghan people share the grief of the American people who have suffered due to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, yet no Afghan was involved in the attack and therefore Biden has to reconsider his decision.
“The people of Afghanistan share the pain of the American people, share the pain of the families and loved ones of those who died, who lost their lives in the tragedy of September 11,” said Karzai.
“We commiserate with them (but) Afghan people are as many victims as those families who lost their lives ... Withholding money or seizing money from the people of Afghanistan in their name is unjust and unfair and an atrocity against Afghan people.”
The United States, following its exit from Afghanistan in August 2021, has frozen more than $9 billion of assets of DAB, a move widely seen as the major factor leading to the current economic crisis in the war-torn Asian country.
President Biden’s order signed last Friday freed $7 billion in Afghan assets currently held in the US, to be divided between 9/11 victims and humanitarian aid to Afghans.
9/11 victims and their families have legal claims against the Taliban and the $7 billion in the US banking system. The $3.5 billion was set aside for a US court to decide whether it can be used to settle claims by families of 9/11 victims. US courts would also have to sign off before the release of humanitarian assistance money.
