Biden Splits Billions In Frozen Assets Between Afghan Humanitarian Aid And 9/11 Victims

President Joe Biden signed an executive order Friday allowing $7 billion in assets from Afghanistan’s central bank to be split between Afghan humanitarian aid and victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

The $7 billion from Afghanistan had been blocked after the Taliban took over the country in the summer of 2021, CNN reported. Roughly $3.5 billion of the assets will be used for humanitarian aid and the other $3.5 billion will be put aside for 9/11 victims, according to Biden’s executive order.

A slew of 9/11 victims have argued in court that Afghanistan’s central bank account – located at the Federal Reserve in New York, according to The New York Times – contents should be theirs after the Taliban took over the country.

The argument follows a court ruling in 2011 that found a list of defendants, including al-Qaida and the Taliban, liable for the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The defendants were ordered to pay around $7 billion in damages, according to the NYT, but prior to the fall of Afghanistan’s government it appeared impossible to collect the money.

Women wearing a burqa wait for free bread in front of a bakery in Kabul on January 24, 2022. (Photo by Mohd RASFAN / AFP) (Photo by MOHD RASFAN/AFP via Getty Images)

While the executive order sets aside funds for 9/11 victims, further litigation is needed for the funds to actually be given away, according to a fact sheet provided by the White House. (RELATED: Biden Administration To Allow Groups To Conduct Business With Taliban For Humanitarian Purposes)

“Many U.S. victims of terrorism, including relatives of victims who died in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, have brought claims against the Taliban and are pursuing DAB assets in federal court,” the White House noted. “Because some of these plaintiffs currently have writs of execution against the DAB assets, the court will need to issue a further decision regarding the scope of those writs.”

“Even if funds are transferred for the benefit of the Afghan people, more than $3.5 billion in DAB assets would remain in the United States and are subject to ongoing litigation by U.S. victims of terrorism. Plaintiffs will have a full opportunity to have their claims heard in court,” the fact sheet added.

The humanitarian crisis, meanwhile, has worsened under Taliban rule, CNN reported. Over half of Afghanistan currently faces extreme levels of hunger, the United Nations found.

The White House said the executive order “will help preserve a substantial portion of Afghanistan’s reserves to benefit the Afghan people,” but admitted “there are no easy solutions.”

“Against this challenging backdrop, the United States will continue to work tirelessly with the international community to ensure that humanitarian assistance and other support flows to the people of Afghanistan. Over the past several months, we have acted urgently to support the Afghan people,” the administration said.


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