Disclaimer: This article may contain the personal views and opinions of the author.
The United States seized $7 billion in American-based assets owned by Afghanistan’s central bank, known as Da Afghanistan Bank or DAB, so that the Taliban couldn’t access it.
The U.S. is holding the $7 billion, but in February the Biden administration outlined in an executive order that half of the money could go to 9/11 families.
The executive order defined that the Biden administration would “seek to facilitate access to $3.5 billion of those assets for the benefit of the Afghan people and for Afghanistan’s future pending a judicial decision.”
It also outlined that half the money would go to the 9/11 victim’s families.
The executive order read:
“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. 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 decision has unsurprisingly caused controversy and many disagree over the money.
The First Light Report reported:
Some family members of victims want the money, but others have urged the Biden administration to release the funds to the Afghan people, whose money it was in the first place.
Eagleson, whose father died in the World Trade Center’s South Tower, is part of the Ashton plaintiffs. He said he now suspects that there is a “dirty inside deal with the administration” concerning the money and the legal disputes surrounding those who have been victims of Taliban terrorism.
“So no one has seen that money yet. And it’s our presumption that nobody will probably see that money for at least a couple of years, if we even are allowed to see any of that money.”
Eagleson complained that the Biden administration’s decision to dole out the money via the court system is a mistake and a disservice to the 9/11 families.
“What the Biden administration did was really a disservice to the 9/11 community because they never specified how that money is to be allocated. They left it up to the courts to figure out what to do with it.”
A letter was addressed to President Biden on August 16 and about 80 family members of 9/11 victims requested that Biden reverse his February executive order and send the billions in frozen assets back to the Afghan people.
“I think this is a nightmare scenario for the entire 9/11 community because you’re pitting victims against victims and you’re making us fight like dogs over a piece of meat,” Eagleson said.
“And I just think it’s terrible that the Biden administration put us in this situation without clarifying or without making a commitment to fairness and equity.”
The families of 9/11 victims believe it is morally wrong, and continue to urge Biden Administration to return the money to the Afghan people.
