Afghan Taliban officials in Herat province of Afghanistan have dismissed as "illogical" a New York judge's order requiring the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA, i.e., the Afghan Taliban) to pay $109 billion in compensation for the September 11 attacks. According to a Dari-language report published by Watan24 news, Mawlawi Hayatullah Mohajer, deputy governor of Herat, and Qari Ghor Darwazi, a jihadi commander, said that the U.S. is using the demand as an excuse to pressure and isolate Afghanistan.[1]
In late-August 2024, a federal judge in New York ordered the Afghan Taliban, which ruled Afghanistan on 9/11, and the Iranian government to pay $144.7 billion to the thousands of people affected by the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Between when the Taliban took over Kabul in 1996 and the summer of 2001, the U.S. government reportedly pressed over 30 times for the Taliban to expel Osama bin Laden from Afghanistan.[2]
Mawlawi Hayatullah Mohajer, deputy governor of Herat province
Following is the text of the report:
"Unreasonable And Foolish"
"Mohajer: The U.S. $109 Billion Compensation Order For September 11 Is Foolish"
"Local officials in Herat [province, Afghanistan] have called a New York judge's order that the Islamic Emirate government must pay $109 billion to the United States for September 11 [attacks] compensation unreasonable and foolish.
"Mawlawi Hayatullah Mohajer, the Deputy Governor of Herat, told Watan24 news agency in an exclusive interview: The United States has committed many unforgivable crimes during its 20-year presence in Afghanistan.
"He stated that the United States, during its presence in Afghanistan, killed and injured many innocent people and inflicted a lot of financial and human loss on the people of this country. He added that while American forces were in the country, the people's economy was challenged in all matters of life.
"The Deputy Governor of Herat said that no logic accepts that Afghanistan should pay this compensation to the United States for September 11. Mr. Mohajer called this demand from the United States foolish and called America's 20-year presence in Afghanistan a problem."
"The Compensation Of $109 Billion That America Demanded From Afghanistan Is Illogical"
"Meanwhile, Qari Ghor Darwazi, one of the jihadi commanders in Herat, says: The compensation of $109 billion that America demanded from Afghanistan is illogical and shows that the American government is looking for an excuse in Afghanistan.
"He added that America did not achieve anything during its 20-year presence in Afghanistan and left Afghanistan empty-handed. The jihadist commander noted that the United States is currently hated among all Islamic countries, and this has led to other countries losing trust in America.
"On the other hand, Dr. Hadi Afshar, a university professor and political expert in Herat, says: It has been over 20 years since the September 11th incident, and to this day, the United States has been unable to provide any evidence regarding it. He added that the United States aims to pressure and isolate the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. According to the university professor, the United States is seeking an excuse to compel the current Afghan government to pay this money.
"The incident of September 11, 2001, happened, and after that, America entered Afghanistan under the pretext of fighting terrorism, which resulted in 20 years of backwardness, the spread of administrative corruption, and the increase of drug production in the country."
