• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
9/11 Victims’ Families To Receive Billions Of Dollars Seized From Afghanistan Bank

Home> News

Published 17:41 11 Feb 2022 GMT

9/11 Victims’ Families To Receive Billions Of Dollars Seized From Afghanistan Bank

$7 billion in frozen funds is set to be divided between relatives of 9/11 victims and humanitarian aid for the Afghan people.

Hannah Smith

Hannah Smith

$3.5 billion in Afghanistan state funds frozen by the United States is set to made available as compensation for the families of 9/11 victims.

President Joe Biden is reportedly expected to sign an executive order directing a total of $7 billion funds, which were deposited in a US bank account by the Afghan central bank prior to the Taliban takeover of the country last year, to be divided between the families and humanitarian relief for people in Afghanistan.

A source said that much of the money had been received through United States and international relief donations over the past two decades.

Ground Zero 9/11 memorial (Alamy)
Ground Zero 9/11 memorial (Alamy)

Advert

The decision comes following a court ruling in October last year that saw around 150 relatives of 9/11 victims obtain an order to have the funds seized, years after winning a default judgement against the Taliban in a civil lawsuit after the defendants failed to attend court.

Several other 9/11 victims groups have since laid claim to the funds, leading the Biden administration to intervene on the grounds of national interest.

President Biden's executive order is expected to confirm that half of the funds can be made available to 9/11 victims' families pending the outcomes of their litigation, with the other half set to be held in a trust fund to be spent on food and other forms of assistance for the Afghan people, the New York Times reports.

However the process comes with several complicating factors, including the fact that because the United States does not recognise the Taliban as Afghanistan's legitimate rulers, it's not clear whether the money from the Afghan central bank can be considered the Taliban's and therefore be used to pay their debts to the 9/11 victims families.

Advert

Afghan citizens waiting to receive bread (Alamy)
Afghan citizens waiting to receive bread (Alamy)

Relatives of 9/11 victims are themselves divided over the decision, with one plaintiff, Ramon Melendez Sr., saying in a statement, 'I lost my wife on 9/11 due to the Taliban’s support for terrorism... I think some money should go to humanitarian relief for the Afghan people but I also want my legal judgment to be fully honored.'

In contrast, Barry Amundson, who lost his brother in the attacks, told the Times, 'I can’t think of a worse betrayal of the people of Afghanistan than to freeze their assets and give it to 9/11 families.'

The Biden administration is said to have been trying to figure out how to provide aid to the Afghan people without the money going to the Taliban since withdrawing from the country almost six months ago.

Advert

If you have a story you want to tell, send it to UNILAD via [email protected]

Featured Image Credit: Alamy

Topics: Joe Biden, US News, no-article-matching

Hannah Smith
Hannah Smith

Hannah is a London-based journalist covering news and features for UNILAD. She's especially interested in social and political activism and culture.

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

6 hours ago
8 hours ago
9 hours ago
  • 6 hours ago

    'Ozempic economy' explained as research suggests drug could save US taxpayers $173,000,000,000 a year

    The diabetes drug could help to reform the US economy

    News
  • 8 hours ago

    Legendary actor Michael Madsen has died aged 67

    Madsen was best known for his roles in Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill

    Film & TV
  • 8 hours ago

    Kanye West has been banned from entering Australia over one of his songs

    Kanye West will not be touring in Australia anytime soon

    Celebrity
  • 9 hours ago

    Donald Trump makes shocking threat to deport New York mayor candidate Zohran Mamdani

    Zohran Mamdani has responded to the POTUS' threats against him

    News
  • Shocking video shows plane passengers' chilling reaction to first hearing of the 9/11 terrorist attacks
  • Scathing reason Donald Trump has given for taking away major right from Joe Biden that every past president receives
  • Crews discovered a huge shipwreck underneath the foundations of the World Trade Center Towers after 9/11
  • Death row inmate gave chilling final words to victims' families in 3-minute statement before execution by lethal injection