The Biden administration is facing a dilemma regarding the $687 million in assets that a French company forfeited after admitting to aiding terrorist groups like ISIS. There is a disagreement between the State Department and the Justice Department on how to handle this substantial amount of money, which has not been appropriated by Congress for a specific purpose.
One of the main points of contention is whether some of the funds should be used to assist international victims of ISIS, many of whom are still in Syria or are refugees in the Middle East. Additionally, there is a group of ISIS victims currently residing in the United States who are also seeking a portion of the assets. They are being represented by prominent human rights lawyer Amal Clooney and former Biden administration official Lee Wolosky.
The significant sum in question stems from the prosecution of Lafarge, a French company that pleaded guilty to providing support to terrorist organizations in Syria. Lafarge made payments to ISIS and another terrorist group, the Nusra Front, in order to continue operating a cement plant in the region during the Syrian civil war. The company’s officials entered into this agreement with the militant groups to ensure future profits from the reconstruction efforts in Syria.
This case presents complex legal, moral, and policy challenges for the Biden administration. The decision on how to allocate these seized assets will have far-reaching implications, both domestically and internationally. As the internal deliberations continue, it remains to be seen how the administration will ultimately resolve this issue and whether the funds will be directed towards aiding ISIS victims or distributed in another manner.