Karzai Says Afghanistan Has Assets to Stem Crisis at Kabul Bank

Afghan President Hamid Karzai said his government can provide any needed support to the country’s largest commercial bank, hours after customers crowded its branches to withdraw deposits.

Karzai repeated his aides’ reassurances tonight, saying Kabul Bank customers should stay calm because the central bank has $4.8 billion on hand, “enough liquid assets to support any bank” in Afghanistan. He spoke to reporters a day after the central bank said the lender’s top executives were replaced amid U.S. news reports that it had lost millions of dollars.