Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Local sources to Al Mayadeen: Sudanese army forces drones strike town of Kabkabiya, North Darfur.
Syrian Observatory: The plane is loaded with air defense systems and heavy weapons as part of US troop reinforcements to its bases in northeastern Syria
Syrian Observatory: US cargo plane lands with two military helicopters at Kharab al-Jir base in the countryside of Rmeilan, north of Hasakah
Miguel Díaz-Canel to Gustavo Petro: US seeks to reimpose the Monroe Doctrine in its relations with sovereign states in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The Abu Ali Mustapha Brigades, the military wing of the PFLP, says they handed over the body of an Israeli captive to the Israeli occupation forces in implementation of the clauses of the ceasefire agreement.
Al Mayadeen correspondent: Israeli drones are flying over the presidential palace in Baabda, Mount Lebanon, and over the skies of the capital, Beirut, and its suburbs.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in South Lebanon: Israeli warplanes launch a series of raids on the al-Mahmoudiya and Jarmaq areas
Trump reiterates proposal for Russia and Ukraine to stop at current front line, negotiate later
Reuters: Trump says no discussion regarding Ukraine ceding Donbas to Russia
US Vice President JD Vance: There is currently no security infrastructure in place to ensure the disarmament of Hamas

US, Taliban to discuss releasing frozen Afghan funds after earthquake

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 2 Jul 2022 09:00
  • 1 Shares
4 Min Read

When the Taliban took over last year, the US froze $7 billion in reserves, allocating half of it to 9/11 victims' families, and the international community suspended billions in direct aid.

  • x
  • US and Taliban to discuss releasing frozen Afghan funds after earthquake.
    US and Taliban to discuss releasing frozen Afghan funds after the earthquake

Officials say the US and the Taliban will hold discussions in Qatar on Thursday about unfreezing part of Afghanistan's reserves in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake, especially after Washington allocated half of the frozen sum to 9/11 victims' families, which Taliban at the time slammed as theft and moral decline of the US.

According to The New York Times, the intricate strategy is intended to address a slew of legal blockages originating from the September 11 attacks and the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Read next: Biden to split $7 billion in frozen Afghan funds

The White House claimed it is working "urgently" on the endeavor, but an Afghan central bank board member indicated it could take some time to complete.

The Taliban's Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, has arrived in the Qatari capital of Doha for talks, according to Taliban Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hafiz Zia Ahmed.

Read next: World Bank survey: 70% of Afghans can't meet basic needs

The State Department said its ambassador to Afghanistan, Tom West, would participate, and said the US was interested in a variety of issues, including human rights and opening schools for girls.

Read next: Taliban slams splitting Afghan assets as theft, moral decline of US

Related News

Court approves Trump’s Oregon National Guard deployment to Portland

EU shift from Russian gas with US LNG risky: Gazprom CEO

Frozen funds

At the time, Washington froze $7 billion in reserves, while the international community suspended billions in direct help that Afghanistan and its 40 million people had relied on.

Although some help has been restored, the currency has fallen and the country has descended into a catastrophic economic catastrophe.

The 5.9-magnitude earthquake that struck eastern Afghanistan last week, killing over 1,500 people and displacing tens of thousands, adds urgency to the funding argument.

"Negotiations are underway and it is our expectation that a final proposal under discussion will be finalized," said Shah Mehrabi, member of the Supreme Council of the Central Bank of Afghanistan.

However, details on "the mechanism to transfer the reserves to the Central Bank has not been finalized," he told AFP. "It is going to take a while. These things do not happen overnight."

'Get these funds moving'

On her part, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated that steps were ongoing "to get these cash moving" from the frozen reserves.

"We are urgently working to address complicated questions about the use of these funds to ensure they benefit the people of Afghanistan and not the Taliban," she told reporters traveling with President Joe Biden to Europe.

The frozen deposits amount to $3.5 billion, which is half of the total amount banned by the US government, with the other half being stolen by the US as described by The Guardian, which reported that taking Afghan money to pay grieving Americans in order to punish the Taliban is nothing less than larceny as collective punishment.

"I have argued that these reserves should be released to the Central Bank," said Shah Mehrabi, member of the Supreme Council of the Central Bank of Afghanistan.

He proposed a "limited, monitored release of reserves" of about $150 million each month to pay for imports. That would help "stabilize prices and help meet the needs of ordinary Afghans so that they can afford to buy bread, cooking oil, sugar, and fuel," alleviating the misery of families facing high inflation, he said.

  • United States
  • Taliban
  • Afghanistan

Most Read

Iran strikes secret Israeli-US bunker under Tel Aviv high-rise

Tel Aviv high-rise struck by Iran hid Site 81, secret US-Israeli base

  • Politics
  • 14 Oct 2025
Yemeni Armed Forces Chief of Staff Major General Mohammad Abd al-Karim al-Ghamari , during a ceremony in an undisclosed locations in Yemen, undate (Yemeni Military Media)

Yemeni Armed Forces mourn martyred Chief of Staff al-Ghamari

  • Politics
  • 16 Oct 2025
Israeli occupation violates Gaza ceasefire, killing seven Palestinians.

Israeli occupation violates Gaza ceasefire, kills seven Palestinians

  • Politics
  • 14 Oct 2025
Zionists Fundamentally Misread Iran Due To Their Own Echo Chambers

Zionists fundamentally misread Iran due to their own echo chambers

  • Analysis
  • 15 Oct 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
UK blocks release of documents on secretive Lammy-Sa’ar meeting.
Politics

UK blocks release of documents on secret Lammy-Sa’ar meeting

Colombia slams Trump’s drug accusation, defends sovereignty
Politics

Colombia slams Trump’s incendiary drug claims, defends sovereignty

The abuse was detailed in Giuffre's memoir "Nobody's Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice." (AP)
Politics

Epstein victim recounts choking, sexual assault by 'well-known PM'

The US Secret Service discovered a hunting stand near the airport President Donald Trump uses in Florida. (US Secret Service)
Politics

FBI probes hunting stand with sightline to Trump’s Air Force One exit

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS