Calling Biden’s move unfair, Afghans urge release of funds frozen by US

Expressing their ire over the US’ decision to preserve billions of frozen assets for the victims of the 9/11 attacks, several Afghan men and women held protests on Monday, as per local media report.

Urging the US court to reject any decision over Afghanistan’s assets, a group of Afghan women in Kabul gathered near the United Nations office.

The demonstrators demanded the return of the assets to Afghanistan, Tolo News reported.

“This money is Afghans’ money, not money to pay as compensation by Joe Biden. The money should be surrendered to Afghanistan,” the Afghan news agency quoted Arzo, a protester, as saying.

Another protester, Shogofa Nejta, said that the money can change the situation in Afghanistan, where people are struggling with poverty.

Residents of Bamyan province also held demonstrations to urge the release of Afghanistan Central Bank’s assets held in the US and other countries.

Several Afghan teachers at Shaikh Zayed University in Khost province also staged a protest and called Biden’s decision ‘unfair’.

“This is a cruelty, they do not have the right to hold Afghanistan’s money as compensation,” Tolo News reported quoting Rabani Wahdat, a teacher.

Afghan currency will dramatically lose value if the frozen assets are spent for any purpose and not returned to Afghanistan, the media outlet reported citing experts.

Earlier, the Taliban had warned that it will ‘reconsider’ policy towards the US if it does not receive full US$ 7 billion frozen assets.