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9/11 victims not entitled to seize Afghan assets: US judge
A US judge on Friday recommended that victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks not be allowed to seize billions of dollars of assets belonging to Afghanistan’s central bank.
US Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn in Manhattan said Da Afghanistan Bank was immune from jurisdiction, and that allowing the seizures would effectively acknowledge the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) as the Afghan government, something only the US president can do, Reuters reported.
“The Taliban’s (IEA) victims have fought for years for justice, accountability, and compensation. They are entitled to no less,” Netburn wrote. “But the law limits what compensation the court may authorize and those limits put the DAB’s assets beyond its authority.”
Netburn’s recommendation will be reviewed by US District Judge George Daniels in Manhattan, who also oversees the litigation and can decide whether to accept her recommendation.
In an executive order in February, US President Joe Biden ordered half of $7 billion of Afghan central bank funds that are frozen in US to be unlocked for the benefit of the Afghan people, leaving victims to pursue the remainder in court.
US sanctions ban doing financial business with the IEA, but allow humanitarian support for the Afghan people.
Rana Sanaullah, Pakistan Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Political Affairs, says Islamabad does not seek to impose war on Afghanistan or occupy any part of its territory.
Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, he stated that Pakistan’s primary expectation is for Afghanistan to prevent militant groups from using its soil to launch attacks against Pakistan. He warned that failure to address this concern could lead to the continuation of Pakistani operations targeting such groups.
Pakistani officials have long maintained that militant attacks in Pakistan are planned from Afghan territory. However, the Islamic Emirate has rejected the claim, insisting that Afghanistan is not responsible for what it describes as Pakistan’s “security failures.”
Afghanistan has once again been ranked the least happy country in the world, according to the latest edition of the World Happiness Report.
The report, which measures people’s overall life satisfaction across 147 countries, placed Afghanistan at the bottom of the global ranking for another year, with a score 1.4 out of 10. Researchers assess factors such as income levels, social support, freedom to make life choices, perceptions of corruption, and overall quality of life.
For the ninth consecutive year, Finland ranked as the world’s happiest country, with a score of 7.7. Iceland and Denmark followed it, as Nordic nations continued to dominate the top of the index.
A notable development came from Costa Rica, which climbed to fourth place — the highest ranking ever recorded for a Latin American country.
Other countries with low rankings included Sierra Leone, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Botswana.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has welcomed the temporary ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan announced in connection with the Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations, calling for continued efforts to reduce tensions and achieve lasting peace.
Anwar shared the message during a telephone conversation with his Pakistani counterpart, Shehbaz Sharif. In a Facebook post, Anwar emphasized the importance of dialogue and de-escalation, while also expressing concern over rising tensions in the Middle East, particularly involving Iran, and urging all parties to prioritize peaceful solutions.
Pakistan said it had temporarily suspended military operations in Afghanistan at the request of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey. Afghan authorities likewise announced a halt to operations during Eid, citing goodwill and similar requests from regional partners.
The ceasefire follows weeks of heightened tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, including Durand Line clashes and airstrikes.
Separately, Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a phone call discussed regional developments with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, reaffirming Turkey’s commitment to peace and stability and stressing continued cooperation for long-term security.
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