The Biden administration is expected to announce on Friday its decision to split $7 billion in frozen Afghan funds between certain relatives of 9/11 victims and humanitarian aid for Afghanistan, The New York Times reports.
Afghanistan's central bank had deposited the $7 billion in assets in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York before the Taliban takeover, notes the Times.
News of the administration's reported decision, however, was not taken lightly online, with many observers weighing in to accuse the White House of stealing from a country on the brink of humanitarian collapse.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"Families of 9/11 victims have been pursuing financial compensation from the Taliban for years," CNN writes, "and renewed their efforts following the group's takeover of the country [in 2021] and the subsequent freezing of the Afghan assets." The White House has been figuring out how to handle the situation for months, having now seemingly landed on this 50/50 split — $3.5 billion for Afghanistan aid, and $3.5 billion for terror victims.
-
2 MLB pitchers charged with rigging throws for betsSpeed Read Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz have been indicted
-
USDA orders states to ‘undo’ full SNAP paymentsSpeed Read The Trump administration is telling states not to pay full November food stamp benefits
-
Senate takes first step to end record shutdownSpeed Read Eight senators in the Democratic caucus voted with Republicans to advance legislation to reopen the government
-
USDA orders states to ‘undo’ full SNAP payments
Speed Read The Trump administration is telling states not to pay full November food stamp benefits
-
Senate takes first step to end record shutdown
Speed Read Eight senators in the Democratic caucus voted with Republicans to advance legislation to reopen the government
-
Has Zohran Mamdani shown the Democrats how to win again?Today’s Big Question New York City mayoral election touted as victory for left-wing populists but moderate centrist wins elsewhere present more complex path for Democratic Party
-
Senate votes to kill Trump’s Brazil tariffSpeed Read Five Senate Republicans joined the Democrats in rebuking Trump’s import tax
-
Border Patrol gets scrutiny in court, gains power in ICESpeed Read Half of the new ICE directors are reportedly from DHS’s more aggressive Customs and Border Protection branch
-
Shutdown stalemate nears key pain pointsSpeed Read A federal employee union called for the Democrats to to stand down four weeks into the government standoff
-
Trump vows new tariffs on Canada over Reagan adspeed read The ad that offended the president has Ronald Reagan explaining why import taxes hurt the economy
-
NY attorney general asks public for ICE raid footageSpeed Read Rep. Dan Goldman claims ICE wrongly detained four US citizens in the Canal Street raid and held them for a whole day without charges
