Latest News
US court blocks 9/11 victims’ bid for Afghanistan’s frozen funds
The families had argued that Afghanistan’s reserves should be used as compensation because the IEA provided safe haven to al-Qaeda, the group behind the attacks.
A US federal appeals court has rejected efforts by families of victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks and the 1998 al-Qaeda embassy bombings in Africa to claim billions of dollars from Afghanistan’s frozen central bank reserves.
In its August 21 ruling, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan said that the $3.5 billion held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York is protected under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA), which shields state-owned assets from seizure.
The court stressed that Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB), the country’s central bank, is a state institution and therefore immune from claims targeting the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA).
The families had argued that Afghanistan’s reserves should be used as compensation because the IEA provided safe haven to al-Qaeda, the group behind the attacks.
But the court found the plaintiffs failed to prove that the central bank was under IEA control on August 15, 2021, when Kabul fell and the assets were frozen. While the IEA later replaced senior bank officials, Judge José Cabranes noted there was no evidence of such control at the time of the freeze.
The funds were blocked by the Biden administration following the IEA takeover in 2021. The victims’ families sought access through the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA), but the court ruled they could not show that DAB was being used as a “terrorist instrument.”
The decision marks a major setback for families pursuing long-standing compensation claims against al-Qaeda and its backers.
Al-Qaeda carried out the September 11 attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania, as well as the 1998 bombings of US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, which killed 224 people.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce has announced that a high-level delegation from Uzbekistan, comprising government officials and private sector representatives, led by Jamshid Khojaev, Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan, arrived in Kabul on Saturday.
According to the ministry’s statement, the delegation was welcomed at Kabul International Airport by Nooruddin Azizi, Minister of Industry and Commerce.
The Ministry of Industry and Commerce added that the purpose of the Uzbek delegation’s visit to Kabul is to hold meetings and discussions with officials of the Islamic Emirate and representatives of Afghanistan’s private sector, as well as to participate in the trade forum.
Sadin Ayyıldız, Chargé d’Affaires of the Turkish Embassy in Kabul, held a courtesy meeting on Saturday with Attaullah Omari, Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
The Turkish Embassy in Kabul said in a post on X that during the meeting, the two sides held constructive and fruitful discussions on expanding cooperation in the agriculture sector.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday renewed his call for Afghanistan to take action against militant groups, saying Afghan territory should not be used to launch attacks against Pakistan.
“Pakistan shares over 2,600-kilometre border with its neighbour and has repeatedly urged the Afghan authorities to act against terrorist organisations and prevent Afghan territory from being used against Pakistan,” Sharif said speaking at an event in Balochistan province. “However, the Afghan interim government has failed to take effective action against these groups.”
Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan of failing to curb the activities of militant groups that Islamabad says carry out attacks inside Pakistan. The Islamic Emirate has consistently rejected the allegations, insisting that Afghan territory is not used against any country and calling on Pakistan to address its own security challenges internally.
US pauses strikes on Iran as diplomatic efforts gather pace amid regional tensions
Hundreds of thousands flee as devastating wildfires rage across France and Spain
Tahawol: New developments ahead in the Middle East discussed
Saar: Rising tensions between Kabul and Islamabad discussed
Uzbekistan delegation arrives in Kabul to attend trade forum
Afghanistan eyes direct Basmati rice imports from India amid tensions with Pakistan
India offers 1,000 online scholarships for Afghan students for 2026-27 academic year
TAPI project sees rapid progress in Afghanistan
Cricket world pays tribute to Afghanistan fast bowler Shapoor Zadran
Turkey spent over $120 million to prepare airport for Qatar-donated U.S. presidential aircraft
Tahawol: New developments ahead in the Middle East discussed
Saar: Rising tensions between Kabul and Islamabad discussed
Tawsia: Factors behind rising fuel prices in Afghanistan discussed
Tahawol: US-Kabul engagement on security issues discussed
Saar: Continued exchange of attacks between US-Iran discussed
-
Latest News4 days agoGermany defends Afghan deportation policy after fatal Trier knife attack
-
Latest News5 days agoFazlur Rehman accuses Pakistan of enabling US strikes on Afghanistan
-
Sport4 days agoFIFA updates world rankings; Spain climbs to No. 1, Afghanistan ranked 171st
-
Latest News4 days agoAfghanistan and Uzbekistan advance railway cooperation, discuss Trans-Afghan project
-
Latest News5 days agoIndia says UN sanctions on Afghanistan no longer effective
-
Latest News5 days agoWidespread reaction to Nuristan floods; from messages of sympathy to requests for urgent assistance
-
World4 days agoWar in Iran has cost the US $37.5 billion so far, Pentagon says
-
Latest News4 days agoAmnesty International calls for probe into Pakistan airstrike on Kabul rehabilitation centre