U.S. moves to free $3.5 billion in frozen Afghan assets to aid Afghanistan's people

U.S. President Joe Biden will sign an executive order on Friday that will allow half of the $7 billion in frozen Afghan reserves held in the United States to be used to help the Afghan people without providing the Taliban access to the funds, sources familiar with the plan said.

The multi-step plan calls for the other half of the funds to remain in the United States, subject to ongoing litigation by U.S. victims of terrorism, including relatives of those who died in the Sept. 11, 2001, hijacking attacks, the sources said.