US not releasing Afghanistan's assets for 3 reasons: White House spokesperson

Amid the ongoing political, social and economic crisis in Afghanistan, the United States has refused to release nearly $9.5 billion of war-torn nation's frozen funds. According to Khaama Press, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki has stated that the procedure would be complicated and further highlighted that the Taliban would not be allowed to access the funds.

These comments came when Psaki responded to Afghanistan's acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Motaqi's recent statements on the blocking of funds, saying that the decision will be taken after discussion with allies.

Afghanistan's economy has been in free fall since the Taliban seized command of Kabul on August 15. Most of the $9 billion in assets of the Afghan central bank is held in the US, and have been frozen. Moreover, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has also suspended around $450 million, according to the Associated Press.

The three reasons of the US upon the release of Afghanistan's assets

According to Psaki, one of the reasons why the US is unable to release Afghanistan's frozen assets is because the kin of the September 11 victims have requested their funds be delivered to them, a request is considered to be a significant one.  

Another reason Psaki cited was that the United States continues to identify the Taliban as a terrorist organisation, and most officials of the Taliban are on the United Nations's blacklist, Khaama Press reported. Indicating the third reason, she also stated that the US has yet to receive a clear explanation about how the money would be distributed to Afghans.

Meanwhile, the acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan, Amir Khan Muttaqi, previously stated that the US must free Afghan assets and that they desire to have a good relationship with the Afghan people. Moreover, the Taliban's deputy Prime Ministers have requested the US to unfreeze the funds, claiming that the assets do not belong to any administration or president, but rather to the Afghan people, according to Khaama Press. 

In addition to this, on Friday (local time), donors to the World Bank approved the distribution of $280 million to meet the nation's humanitarian requirements. Contributors to the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund have committed to funding the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) as well as the World Food Program (WFP) $280 million by the end of December, as per Sputnik.

(Image: AP)