US: The Biden administration stated that it would not release $3.5 billion in blocked Afghan funding on the first anniversary of the Taliban’s invasion, citing the arrest of Al Qaeda’s leader Ayman al Zawahiri in Kabul.
The United States has ruled out providing the funds anytime soon, according to an American official,
Tom West, the special representative for Afghanistan at the State Department, told reporters in Washington that he did not “view recapitalization of the Afghan central bank as a near-term option.”
He continued: “Deep worries we have regarding the diversion of cash to terrorist organisations are reinforced by the Taliban’s protection of Al Qaeda commander Ayman al Zawahiri.”Although Ayman al Zawahiri’s presence in Kabul has had a direct impact about how the administration approaches the Taliban, a National Security Council (NSC) official told CNN that “there has been no change” in attempts to get the monies to the Afghan people.
“Recent disclosures about the Taliban’s blatant disregard for the terms of the Doha agreement highlight the significance of maintaining objectivity in our interactions with the Taliban. We will continue to take into account this reality in how we handle the future of these assets, according to the NSC spokesperson.
