White House To Press Ahead With Talks To Release Billions Of Dollars In Afghan Foreign-Held Assets

FILE - A person holds a bundle of Afghan afghani banknotes at a money exchange market, following banks and markets reopening after the Taliban took over in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sept. 4, 2021.  

Reuters: Exclusive-U.S. commits to Afghan asset talks despite frustration with Taliban - sources 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden's administration will press ahead with talks on releasing billions of dollars in Afghanistan's foreign-held assets despite the late al Qaeda leader's presence in Kabul and foot-dragging by the Taliban and Afghan central bank, according to three sources with knowledge of the situation. 

The decision to pursue the initiative to help stabilize Afghanistan's collapsed economy underscores growing concern in Washington over a humanitarian crisis as the United Nations warns that nearly half the country's 40 million people face "acute hunger" as winter approaches. 

At the core of the U.S.-led effort, as Reuters reported last month, is a plan to transfer billions in foreign-held Afghan central bank assets into a proposed Swiss-based trust fund. Disbursements would be made with the help of an international board and bypass the Taliban, many of whose leaders are under U.S. and U.N. sanctions.  

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Update #1: Biden admin pushing forward with talks to return billions in frozen funding to Afghanistan: Report (FOX News)  

Update #2: Biden administration does not plan to release frozen Afghan assets soon over concerns they may be diverted to terror groups (CNN)  

WNU Editor: The poverty in Afghanistan and the hindrances that have been imposed on its economy are not unexpected .... Afghanistan Remittances Fall as Poverty Threatens Lives (VOA).

Update #3: One more reason to not provide funds to the Taliban .... Afghanistan’s Terrorist Threats to America Are Growing (National Interest).