Biden has the Taliban by the financial short hairs...

[Ninga]

Yep. Our President is no push over.


https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/568209-biden-administration-freezes-afghan-government-reserves-in-us-banks

[ansible]

1. This must be why the Taliban are shooting into crowds now and denying entry into the airport

This isn't good, it's a horrible hostage situation

[Ninga]

4. Not smart of them. As Lawrence O Donnellmsaid last night, the only peaceful retreat from a lost

war only happens in the movies.

[Me.]

2. Let's See If The Media Hyperbolically Reports This

[Ninga]

5. I'm not counting on it...

[Irish_Dem]

3. Hidden bonus? Citizens from the country with the frozen assets can use it for US school costs.

Usually frozen assets can be used to pay for tuition here in the US.

If the Afghan women can get to the US, they can go to college on those frozen assets?
Living stipend, tuition, the whole works.

[sarisataka]

6. And there is nowhere else the Tailban can turn

For financing. Nope, absolutely no other country.

[marie999]

7. China will spend more than that is Afghanistan.

[zipplewrath]

8. Right thing... but

It is obviously the right thing to do. But in reality primarily this will force the Taliban to continue and expand what they've always done, drug running and extortion. They'll also look to countries like China and Pakistan for assistance. I don't think there is much we can do in the short term about this, and I'm not sure allowing them access to any of these funds would change this much. But in the end I'm dubious how much it will impact the Taliban leadership as much as individual Afghans. Not to mention they have a few billion dollars in US weapons to sell now.

[multigraincracker]

9. Bet they love and trust China....

China conducting mass sterilization on Muslim minorities that could amount to genocide: Report

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/china-conducting-mass-sterilization-muslim-minorities-amount-genocide/story?id=71519132

[Klaralven]

10. Good. It's probably all money we gave them anyway.

[liberalla]

11. Exactly! More like a partial refund...

[Kaleva]

12. The Taliban does have the opium trade

"“The Taliban have counted on the Afghan opium trade as one of their main sources of income,” Cesar Gudes, the head of the Kabul office of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), told Reuters. “More production brings drugs with a cheaper and more attractive price, and therefore a wider accessibility.”"

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/opium-afghanistan-e2-80-99s-drug-trade-that-helped-fuel-the-taliban/ar-AANncxj