The Taliban have sought talks with the U.S. to reverse its decision to use the Afghan central bank’s reserves to compensate victims of the Sept. 11 attacks and support aid efforts in the country, a spokesman for the group said.
The militant group will use “every diplomatic approach” to push President Joe Biden to reverse his decision and release the Afghan funds, said Zabihullah Mujahed in a phone interview Tuesday. The comments are in contrast with group’s earlier strongly worded statement, which condemned the American move and warned it would “reconsider” its policy toward the U.S.
Biden on Friday issued an executive order to transfer $7 billion in central bank assets frozen in the U.S. into a consolidated account held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, with the U.S. seeking to use $3.5 billion for assistance to the Afghan people. The other $3.5 billion would remain in the U.S., pending ongoing litigation brought by the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks.
