US decision to grant itself Afghanistan assets condemned.

Published: February 20,2022

By Staff writer

Biden administration has been widely condemned for awarding itself USD 3.5 billion of Afghanistan’s frozen assets as compensation for the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In a decree issued recently by the US administration said that US holds more than 9 billion US dollars frozen assets of Afghanistan’s central bank, out of which the victims of 9/11 will be compensated. The decision was met with wide criticism and condemnation, some observers calling it an out rightrobbery being committed against the people of Afghanistan who have just emerged out of a decade long war, and need the money for the country’s economic recovery and fight against poverty.

In the capital Kabul, thousands of people took to the streets and staged demonstrations, denouncing the US decision and called for the return of the frozen assets to help in the country’s reconstruction that was largely destroyed by American bombs.  “America claims itself as a defender of human rights and freedom. The claim would be undermined at home and abroad if it continues to hold or steal Afghanistan’s assets under any pretext,” said  Ahmad Paiman, the acting  chairman of the association Al-Hajj Sakhi, one of the biggest association of industrial and mine workers in Afghanistan. 

Torek Farhadi, a financial adviser to Afghanistan’s former US-backed government, questioned the UN managing Afghan Central Bank reserves. He said those funds are not meant for humanitarian aid but “to back up the country’s currency, help in monetary policy and manage the country’s balance of payment”.

On the question whether Biden’s decree is legally acceptable, Torek Farhadi said, “these reserves belong to the people of Afghanistan, not the Taliban […] Biden’s decision is one-sided and does not match with international law. No other country on Earth makes such confiscation decisions about another country’s reserves.”

Rahman who said that he plans to organize more demonstrations to force the Biden administration to return all Afghan assets also said that, “this money belongs to the people of Afghanistan, not to the United States. This is the right of Afghans.” 

Michael Kugelman, a writer of Foreign Policy’s weekly South Asia Brief, wrote that Biden’s executiveorder dividing Afghanistan’s frozen central bank assets has not earned Washington any goodwill. ‘Biden Hands the Taliban a Propaganda Victory,” Kugelmansaid. 

Although Kugelman prefers to use the term propaganda, many political analysts regard the Afghans concern legitimate as there is no international court that granted U.S the rights to compensate itself with another country’s assets.  The US acted unilaterally without regard of any international law and procedure.