US berates Taliban over 'misconstrued facts' in letter to Congress for assets release

The Taliban regime in Afghanistan “misconstrued” facts in its recent letter to the US Congress, America’s Special Representative for the war-torn nation, Thomas West, said on Friday, 19 November. In a series of tweets, West warned of humanitarian consequences if the US fails to unfreeze more than $9 billion in Afghan assets. He also emphasised that the United States has made clear to the Taliban for years that if they pursued a military takeover rather than a negotiated settlement with fellow Afghans then critical non-humanitarian aid provided by the international community would all but cease.   

In another tweet, West also stated that the US will continue “clear-eyed, candid” diplomacy with the Taliban regime. He said that the insurgents will have to earn legitimacy and support by actions to address terrorism, establish an inclusive government and respect the rights of minorities, women and girls. West went on to assert that the US will continue to support the Afghan people with humanitarian aid, adding that America has already provided $474 million this year. 

Taliban’s letter to US Congress 

Meanwhile, it is to mention that the US froze over $9 billion of assets of the Afghan Central Bank after the Taliban seized power in the war-ravaged nation in mid-August. In a letter to the US Congress, Afghan Taliban’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said that freezing Afghanistan's assets cannot resolve any problem, urging the US to unfreeze the country’s assets and lift the sanctions on its banks. Muttaqi said that following the signing of the Doha Agreement, Afghanistan and the US were no longer either in direct conflict or in military opposition. 

Further, Muttaqi wrote that if the assets remain frozen, problems in the war-torn country will increase given that winter is fast approaching. The Taliban FM had urged the US Congress and the US government to review its decision and release the assets. He said that the regime is concerned that if the current situation prevails, the Talibani government and people will face problems and will become a cause for mass mitigation in the region and world which will consequently create further humanitarian and economic issues for the world. 

“In conclusion, I request the government of the United States of America take responsible steps towards addressing the humanitarian and economic crisis unfolding in Afghanistan so that doors for future relations are opened, assets of Afghanistan's Central Bank are unfrozen and sanctions on our banks are lifted,” Muttaqi said.

(With inputs from PTI)