Taliban criticizes US president's decision splitting Afghan assets

A Taliban political spokesman has criticized US President Joe Biden's decision on splitting the frozen Afghan assets in the United States.

Mohammad Naeem, spokesman of the Taliban political office in Qatar, tweeted on Friday that "stealing the blocked funds of Afghan nation by the United States and its seizure is indicative of the lowest level of human and moral decay of a country and a nation."

On Friday, US President Biden signed an executive order to free US$7 billion out of more than US$9 billion frozen Afghan assets, splitting the money between humanitarian aid for cash-strapped Afghanistan and a fund for 9/11 victims.

"Failure and victory in human history and life is a normal practice. But the biggest and most shameful defeat is the military and moral defeat," Naeem added.

The Afghan economy following the Taliban's takeover in mid-August last year has suffered after the US freezing of assets belonging to the Afghan central bank, as well as a halt in funds by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.