February 15, 2022

The Lawfare Podcast: The Biden Administration and Afghanistan’s Frozen Assets

The Biden administration on Friday notified a court of a novel proposal to dispose of $7 billion in frozen Afghanistan assets, producing some pretty confusing media and a lot of anger. To try to unpack it, Benjamin Wittes sat down with Alex Zerden, the founder and principal of Capitol Peak Strategies and the former lead of the Treasury Department's office at the U.S.-Kabul embassy, and Lawfare senior editor Scott R. Anderson. They talked about what the Biden administration did and its executive order on Friday, how the media subtly got it wrong, what the implications are for pending litigation and for providing relief to the Afghan people, and whether the administration has successfully threaded a needle.

Listen to the full podcast from Lawfare.

  • Commentary
    • The Atlantic
    • February 24, 2025
    How America Wasted Its Most Powerful Economic Weapon

    As Donald Trump embarks on his much-anticipated peace negotiations, they will provide important leverage—Putin will be desperate to recover them, while Ukrainian President Vol...

    By Edward Fishman

  • Podcast
    • February 19, 2025
    Edward Fishman on the Age of Economic Warfare

    In the latest episode of the Sanctions Space Podcast, Justine is joined by Edward Fishman, author of Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare and an adjunct ...

    By Edward Fishman

  • Podcast
    • February 19, 2025
    What Have U.S. Sanctions on Russia Achieved Since the War in Ukraine Began?

    Three years after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, what have U.S. sanctions achieved? NPR talks to Edward Fishman, author of "Chokepoints: American Power in the ...

    By Edward Fishman

  • Video
    • February 17, 2025
    Ziemba: Sanctions Enforcement on Russia To Ease Up

    Rachel Ziemba, an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), speaks with Bloomberg TV’s Joumanna Bercetche on the Horizons Middle East and Africa ...

    By Rachel Ziemba

View All Reports View All Articles & Multimedia