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Families of deceased pay tribute at Ground Zero of 9/11 Memorial in New York last year Alamy Stock Photo

US judge rules 9/11 victims can't seize $3.5bn in Afghan assets despite Biden's green light

US President Joe Biden had said the money could be made available to the families of 9/11 victims.

THE FAMILIES OF victims of the 11 September 2001 terror attacks cannot seize $3.5 billion in funds belonging to Afghanistan’s central bank, a New York federal judge has ruled.

The assets, held in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, were frozen on 15 August 2021 – the day the Taliban entered Kabul and toppled the US-backed Afghan government. 

US President Joe Biden later said the money could be made available to the families of 9/11 victims.

Demonstrators in Kabul at the time condemned Biden’s order to give the $3.5 billion in Afghan assets held in the US for families of 9/11 victims.

A group of families – who years earlier sued the Taliban for their losses and won – has since moved to seize the funds to pay off the judgment debt.

But Judge George Daniels of the Southern District of New York said yesterday that the federal courts lack the jurisdiction to seize the funds from Afghanistan’s central bank.

“The Judgment Creditors are entitled to collect on their default judgments and be made whole for the worst terrorist attack in our nation’s history, but they cannot do so with the funds of the central bank of Afghanistan,” Daniels explained in a 30-page opinion.

“The Taliban – not the former Islamic Republic of Afghanistan or the Afghan people – must pay for the Taliban’s liability in the 9/11 Attacks.”

Daniels also said he was “constitutionally restrained” from awarding the assets to the families because it would effectively mean recognising the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan.

Since the group’s takeover in 2021, no nation has recognised the Taliban as Afghanistan’s government – including the United States.

“The fundamental conclusion … is that neither the Taliban nor the Judgment Creditors are entitled to raid the coffers of the state of Afghanistan to pay the Taliban’s debts.”

Daniels’ ruling, which aligns with a recommendation by another judge last year, deals a blow to the families of the victims of 9/11, as well as insurance companies that made payments because of the attacks.

More than 2,900 people died when four hijacked planes crashed into the Twin Towers in New York, the Pentagon in Washington, DC, and a field in Pennsylvania.

Then-president George W Bush launched an invasion of Afghanistan in response, resulting in two decades of war between the US-backed government and the Taliban.

With the withdrawal of US and NATO troops in August 2021, the Taliban retook power and reimposed their hardline version of Islamic law.

The country was almost entirely dependent on aid, and has seen its economy teeter on the brink of collapse when Washington froze $7 billion in Afghan assets.

Biden revealed a plan in February 2022 to split the cash, with half directed as aid to Afghanistan and half going to families of victims of the 9/11 attacks.

But it remains unclear what will happen to the latter $3.5 billion set aside for the families if their appeals fail.

© AFP 2023

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    Mute Jason O Flynn
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    Feb 22nd 2023, 7:45 AM

    Of course they shouldn’t be allowed take the Afghans money. . . . The should get Saudi Arabia’s money….

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    Mute Mick McGuinness
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    Feb 22nd 2023, 8:04 AM

    @Jason O Flynn: You’re right it was a Saudi national who sent in the terrorists not Afghanistan. Also Bush let the Binladen families and Saudi Royal families fly out of the USA during the airspace lockdown. Make Saudi Arabia pay the compensation It’s only spare change for the Royal family (who are the Government).

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    Mute Gerry Campbell
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    Feb 22nd 2023, 8:48 AM

    @Jason O Flynn: 15 Saudis, 2 UAE,1 Egyptian,and 1 buck from Lebanon,so blame Iraq and make Afghanistan pay compensation, American logic.

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    Mute Dónal MacAonghusa
    Favourite Dónal MacAonghusa
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    Feb 22nd 2023, 7:53 AM

    Is this a joke? If this was the case the USA would have to pay compensation to Nicaragua, Iran and other countries where they invaded to because they didn’t like that the countries leader was taking back there resources.

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    Mute Brian Smyth
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    Feb 22nd 2023, 10:16 PM

    @Dónal MacAonghusa: Yes…and how much would Afghanistan be due for the deaths and destruction the U.S. caused there. The arrogance and blindness of the US never ceases to amaze me

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