KABUL: The Afghanistan Chamber of Industries and Mines has accused US President Joe Biden's recent decision to split the war-torn country's frozen assets as unjust.
"On behalf of 5,000 factories and hundreds of mine extracting firms, I today describe President Biden's recent decision as unjust and stealing our national assets, and we oppose it," Al-Hajj Sakhi Ahmad Paiman, acting chairman of the association, told reporters here on Thursday.
According to reports, the Afghanistan Chamber of Industries and Mines employs 400,000 people directly and 1.5 million people indirectly through its factories, mines, and companies. "America prides itself on being a champion of human rights and liberty. If it continues to detain or steal Afghanistan's assets under whatever pretence, the claim will be discredited at home and abroad "Paiman said. Thousands of Afghans took to the streets on Tuesday to protest Biden's decision and demand that the frozen assets be returned to the war-torn country.
On February 11, Biden signed an Executive Order releasing part of the country's central bank's frozen assets to be disbursed as aid and to victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
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