Taliban have no legal right to multibillion dollar Afghan fund: US watchdog

The watchdog for U.S. assistance to Afghanistan said the Taliban have nary ineligible close to billions of dollars successful backing acceptable speech for the state due to the fact that they are not recognized arsenic its government and are nether sanctions.

In its latest study issued Friday, the bureau of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, oregon SIGAR, besides said President Donald Trump’s medication and Congress whitethorn privation to analyse returning astir $4 cardinal earmarked for Afghanistan to the “custody and control” of the U.S. government.

In 2022, the U.S. transferred $3.5 cardinal successful Afghan cardinal slope assets antecedently frozen successful America to the Swiss-based Fund for the Afghan People. The money has grown to astir $4 cardinal since then, according to the inspector general.

Although nary payments benefiting Afghans person been made, the money is aimed astatine protecting and stabilizing the system connected their behalf.

“The Taliban privation these funds adjacent though they person nary ineligible close to them since they are not recognized by the United States arsenic the authorities of Afghanistan, are connected the U.S. Specially Designated Global Terrorist list, and are nether U.S. and U.N. sanctions,” the study said.

Responding to the study Saturday, the Afghan Economy Ministry said much than $9 cardinal of Afghanistan’s overseas speech reserves had been frozen and warned that immoderate U.S. enactment regarding the allocation, usage oregon transportation of these reserves was unacceptable.

It urged the planetary assemblage to instrumentality the wealth to the cardinal slope to guarantee the country’s stability.

The ministry besides said that U.S. expenditure had made nary important interaction connected the Afghan economy.

The SIGAR study follows Trump’s determination to freeze overseas aid for 90 days pending reviews to find whether projects align with his argumentation goals.

According to the report, the U.S. has spent astir $3.71 cardinal successful Afghanistan since withdrawing from the state successful 2021. Most of that has gone to U.N. agencies.

Another $1.2 cardinal remains disposable successful the pipeline for imaginable disbursement, the study said.

U.S. humanitarian assistance whitethorn person “staved disconnected famine” successful the look of economical collapse, but it has not dissuaded the Taliban from taking Americans hostage, dismantling the rights of women and girls, censoring the media, allowing the state to go a “terrorist harmless haven,” and targeting erstwhile Afghan authorities officials, added the watchdog.

The U.S. remains the largest donor to Afghanistan, but the study said a batch of the wealth is taxed oregon diverted.

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“The further the currency gets distant from the source, the little transparency determination is,” Chris Borgeson, the lawman inspector wide for audits and inspections astatine the watchdog, told The Associated Press past August.

Meanwhile, authorities successful Afghanistan connected Saturday clarified the circumstances down their takeover of the country’s lone luxury hotel.

The General Directorate of State-Owned Corporations said an planetary edifice brand, Serena, had signed an statement successful 2003 with the Tourism Promotion Services Company for Afghanistan. This declaration was terminated by the Emirates Hotel Company past December. The edifice had continued its operations arsenic accustomed since then.

“To further standardize its services, the Emirates Hotels Company has signed an statement with an planetary institution that has extended acquisition successful the hospitality industry,” said the directorate connected its authoritative X account. “This planetary institution volition present negociate and run the Kabul Hotel’s services successful a nonrecreational and standardized manner.”

The sanction of the planetary institution was not mentioned.