Eviljoe freezes terrorists cash access.
« on: Today at 04:51:48 PM »
https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/biden-administration-freezes-afghan-reserves-taliban-cash-access#&_intcmp=hp1bt1_2,hp1btBiden administration freezes $7B in Afghan reserves, limiting Taliban cash access
Yellen made the decision to freeze Afghan government reserves held in US banks
By Megan Henney FOXBusiness
close
West Point grad, war veteran slams Biden-Afghanistan policy: 'That's not leadership'
The Biden administration froze Afghan government reserves held in U.S. banks on Sunday, blocking the Taliban from accessing billions of dollars shortly after the group seized the capital city of Kabul, leaving the U.S.-backed government in collapse, FOX Business confirmed.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and officials in the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control made the decision, according to The Washington Post, which first reported the news. The State Department was also involved in discussions over the weekend, with White House personnel are monitoring the developments.
TALIBAN AND AFGHANISTAN: LIVE UPDATES
"Any Central Bank assets the Afghan government have in the United States will not be made available to the Taliban," an administration official told FOX Business.
The Afghanistan Central Bank holds total assets of about $10 billion assets – $7 billion of which are stashed with the Federal Reserve Bank in New York. The Taliban on Monday tapped Haji Mohammad Idris as acting governor of the bank to help restore the nation's war-crippled economy, with government workers unpaid, businesses closed and the growing cost of necessities like food and fuel.
The move – which is designed to cut off the Taliban from billions of dollars in U.S.-based reserves – is the first in a number of critical decisions facing the Biden administration as it grapples with the Taliban's return to power.
Afghanistan, already one of the poorest countries in the world, is heavily dependent on American aid.
Asked last week what actions the U.S. intends to take to ensure the safety of women in Afghanistan, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said "there are obviously issues related to sanctions." He declined to elaborate further.
AMID AFGHANISTAN CHAOS, BIDEN ASKS FOR ‘LEGAL ACTIONS’ AGAINST GOVERNORS WHO BAN MASK MANDATES
"I want to be able to have our team communicate directly to the Taliban both what the costs and disincentives are for certain types of action and what our expectations are," Sullivan said.
In a speech last Monday, President Biden appeared to commit to continuing to give aid to Afghanistan, saying: "We will continue to support the Afghan people. We will lead with our diplomacy, our international influence and our humanitarian aid."
The Biden administration did not need new authority to freeze the reserves, because the Taliban already faced sanctions from an executive order signed after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, said Adam Smith, a former Obama administration official who served on the National Security Council and as senior adviser to the director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
About 80% of Afghanistan’s budget is funded by the U.S. and other international donors, John Sopko, the special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction, told Reuters in the spring.
FOX Business' Edward Lawrence contributed to this report
Fox Nation
Conversation615 Comments
Biden won't extend Aug. 31 Afghanistan withdrawal deadline, official say
Correction:
Taliban won't extend Aug. 31 Afghanistan withdrawal deadline.
anuhere2
2 hours ago
Replying to ivob
Biden is currently an hour and a half LATE giving an update on Afghanistan. It seems they can't make him coherent enough to go in front of the camera
3 hours ago
Replying to ivob
Correction:
CHINA/Vatican/EU/UN won't allow him to extend Aug. 31 Afghanistan withdrawal deadline.
CommonSenseApproachBS
19 August, 2021
They seem to do quite well without it. They managed to take an entire country, potentially 20,000 American hostages, and all of our weapons,vehicles, and gear...
seanberg
4 hours ago
Replying to CommonSenseApproachBS
Looks like we will have to subtract the costs of all the weapons they took. How hard is that to figure out?
xyzxyzxzy
19 August, 2021
Replying to CommonSenseApproachBS
I encourage everyone to go listen to the interview between Tucker and Lara Logon on Fox Nation. Very enlightening. Everyone should watch it. We have been supporting the Taliban via Pakistan for 20 years.
19 August, 2021
Doesn't matter the Taliban will get support, both militarily and financially, from Iran .... you know, the billions the Obama/Biden flew to Iran in cash? Spent in large part on fighting Americans in Afghanistan & Iraq.
Now with all the equipment we left, the Taliban is better suited now to fight and...See more
19 August, 2021
More than likely that money will be used to pay for the release of American hostages that the Taliban are holding.
Replying to ct35
Let's face it folks. History is repeating itself. How many pallets are required for $7B dollars?
19 August, 2021
I'm betting they froze everything except the transfers for the purchases of Hunter's artworks and the 10% for the big guy.
Replying to GretchenGund
Biden is currently an hour and a half LATE giving an update on Afghanistan. It seems they can't make him coherent enough to go in front of the cameras.
3 hours ago
Replying to GretchenGund
Joe has control of $7 billion he can pay Taliban to release hostages or buy a couple of pieces of Hunter's art work. The should look nice on walls in the Oval Office.
19 August, 2021
Why didn’t he just smash their buying power with inflation. Oh wait saved that move for Americans.
19 August, 2021
We’ll keep the money for a few years, let it build up a few billion in interest… and then another Obama-like liberal will give it to a terrorist government for more terrorist activities.
