AFP report, Feb 23, 2023
KABUL: Taliban authorities called on Washington on Wednesday to return $3.5 billion belonging to Afghanistan´s central bank after a New York federal judge ruled the families of victims in the 9/11 attacks cannot seize the funds.
The United States took control of the assets soon after the Taliban stormed back to power in Afghanistan in 2021, with President Joe Biden saying the money could be made available to the families of 9/11 victims.
A group of families — who years earlier sued the Taliban for their losses and won — has since moved to seize the funds to pay off the judgment debt.
But Judge George Daniels of the Southern District of New York said on Tuesday the federal courts lack the jurisdiction to seize the funds from Afghanistan´s central bank. “The Judgment Creditors are entitled to collect on their default judgments and be made whole for the worst terrorist attack in our nation´s history, but they cannot do so with the funds of the central bank of Afghanistan,” Daniels explained in a 30-page opinion.
“The Taliban — not the former Islamic Republic of Afghanistan or the Afghan people — must pay for the Taliban´s liability in the 9/11 attacks.”
Daniels also said he was “constitutionally restrained” from awarding the assets to the families because it would effectively mean recognizing the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan.
No nation has recognized the Taliban government so far — including the United States.
“The fundamental conclusion… is that neither the Taliban nor the Judgment Creditors are entitled to raid the coffers of the state of Afghanistan to pay the Taliban´s debts.”
The Taliban authorities welcomed the court ruling. https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1043314-taliban-demand-us-return-3-5bn-in-afghan-assets-after-court-ruling
