February 23, 2023
1 min read

Taliban call on US to return $3.5bn after court ruling

The US judge’s ruling is a defeat for those who had claimed some of the $7 billion frozen Afghan assets…reports Asian Lite News

Taliban officials have called on Washington to return $3.5 billion belonging to Afghanistan’s central bank after a US judge ruled that victims of the 9/11 terror attacks were not entitled to seize the funds.

In his 30-page ruling, Judge George Daniels said he was “constitutionally restrained” from approving access to the funds, which are frozen in the US, as this would amount to a ruling that the Taliban were Afghanistan’s legitimate government, reports the NNC.

He noted that President Joe Biden’s administration did not recognise the Taliban, which meant US courts did not have the power to do so either.

“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.

“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 added.

(Xinhua) — A woman mourns the victims of the 9/11 terror attacks at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York, the United States, Sept. 11, 2019. People paid their tributes here on Wednesday to mourn the victims of the 9/11 terror attacks which happened 18 years ago and claimed thousands of lives. (Xinhua/Qin Lang/IANS)



At the time of the attacks in 2001, the Taliban had allowed Al Qaeda militants to operate from Afghanistan.

The judge’s ruling is a defeat for those who had claimed some of the $7 billion of Afghanistan’s central bank funds frozen at the Federal Reserve Bank in New York, the BBC reported.

“This decision deprives over 10,000 members of the 9/11 community of their right to collect compensation from the Taliban,” said Lee Wolosky, a lawyer who argued for victims’ compensation.

“We believe it is wrongly decided and will appeal.”

The 9/11 suicide plane attacks claimed 2,977 lives.

ALSO READ: US court rejects 9/11 victims’ claim to Afghan assets

Previous Story

Biden: Putin’s pull back from New START a ‘big mistake’

Next Story

Sikhs remains among most targeted for hate crimes: FBI

Latest from -Top News

India invites Rishi Sunak to its AI summit in 2026

India to host world’s first Global South AI summit in 2026, with Ashwini Vaishnaw inviting Rishi Sunak to join global talks on responsible, inclusive artificial intelligence. India’s Union Minister for Electronics and

Kerala CM, Bahrain Deputy PM discuss boosting ties

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s Bahrain visit deepens Kerala’s engagement with the Gulf, focusing on trade, investment, and diaspora welfare as both sides reaffirm shared interests in development and cultural exchange. Kerala Chief
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Former Afghan soldiers ready to fight for Russia in Ukraine

Many ex-Afghan security personnel say poverty and security concerns are

Afghan girls return to schools in 3 provinces

The head of Balkh’s provincial department of education, Jalil Sayed