White House rules out early release of Afghan assets

KABUL (Pajhwok): The White House has ruled out the immediate release of the Afghan central bank’s frozen reserves.

The $9.5 billion reserves of Da Afghanistan Bank were frozen after the collapse of the Ashraf Ghani government in mid-August.

Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, told reporters on Monday there was no plan for the time being to unblock the funds.

In response to a query, she said: “There are a number of reasons why these reserves remain inaccessible (to Taliban leaders).”

One reason is the ongoing legal proceedings brought in by victims of the 9/11 attacks, according to the press secretary.

Psaki added: “These legal proceedings cannot be disregarded and have led to the temporary suspension of any movement of the funds ….”

However, she explained the US was exploring ways of sending the funds to the people of Afghanistan, currently faced with a grave humanitarian crisis.

PAN Monitor/mud