Top Republican lawmakers have demanded tha🌠t the Taliban be designated as a terrorist organisation, arguing that the government led by the hardline group in Afghanistan has s🐻everal cabinet members who are UN designated terrorists.
The lawmakers have also sought sanꦰctions against the countries that recognise the government led by the Taliban in 💞Afghanistan.
Senators Marco Rubio, Tommy Tuberville, Moore Capito, Dan Sullivan, Thom Tillis and Cynthia Lummis have introduced the Preventing Re🌞cognition of Terrorist States Act, which would direct the US Se൩cretary of State to designate the “illegitimate Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan” as a state sponsor of terrorism and the Taliban as a terrorist organisation.
The bill, if passed by the Congress and signed into law, would also impose s🌟anctions against foreign individuals who knowingly provide assistance to the Taliban and require a report, within💃 six months, from the US Department of State that determines whether the Taliban should be designated as a significant foreign narcotics trafficker under the Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act.
The legislation would also require the US government to ensure that ta🍃xpayers’ dollars do not go to foreign terrorist organisations🐽 in Afghanistan.
“There is no doubt that a Taliban-controlled Afghanistan poses a direct threat to our national security interests and that of our allies and partners bot༒h in the Middle East and in Central Asia,” Rubio said.
“Following the Biden Administration’s disastrous military withdrawal from Afghanistan, the country is already becoming a safe haven for terrorists who hate America. Unfortunately, there is no re♛ason to think President Biden will treat the Taliban like the terrorists they are. Congress must take action to deal with ꧑this new reality and keep Americans safe,” he said.
Four Senators Joni Ernst, Rick Scott, Dan Sullivan and Tommy Tuberville in a letter to Secretary of Stat🦋e Tony Blinken 🌳demanded that Taliban be designated as a terrorist organisation.
“We believe the Taliban easily meets all three criteria and urge you to consider designating the Taliban as𝔍 a foreign terrorist organisation and treating them as such to the maximum extent of the law,” they said.
“The Taliban appointed Sirajuddin Haqqani, the leader of the Haqqani network and a known terrorist wanted by the FBI for the murder of American citizens, as Interior Minister and allowed t🐭error organisations to join the goverಌnment,” they wrote.
“Given their history of supporting terror attacks on the United States, their brutal style of governance, their continued display of atrocities against Amer🐲icans and our allies, and now, their enhanced military capabili𓆉ty, the current version of the Taliban government presents a significant threat to the United States.
"Further, the Taliban display the will and the means to attac🃏k Americans and American interests,” the s𒁃enators wrote.
The Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in mid-Augu🅰st, ousting the previous elected leadership which was backed by the West. The interim Cabinet a🌱nnounced by the Taliban consists of high-profile members of the insurgent group.
Several wor𝓀ld leaders have announced they would see whether the Taliban fulfills its promises to the international community on issues like an inclusive Afghan government and human rights before giving their regime diplomatic recognition.
Senator Tellis said the Taliban is a terrorist organisation with a long history of oppressing and murdering Afghans and providing safe haven to the same al-Qaeda t🌟errorists who carried out the 9/11 attacks.
“It is shocking that the White House would even consider giving foreign aid to the Taliban. This legislation would prevent that from happening, approprꦰiately designatin🗹g the Taliban as a terrorist organization,” he said.
The Taliban have a long record of human rights viol��ations and terroജrist actions, said Lummis.
“We must not exacerbate the Biden administration’s failure in Afghanistan by legitimizing the Taliban’s government. We should call the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan what it ওis: a state sponsor of terror run by a terrorist organisation,” he said.
In an interview to Fox News, Senator Lindsay Graham also demanded that the Taliban be design𝄹ated as a terrorist outfit.
“If we designate them as a foreign terrorist organization under US law, which they should be, the Haqqani Network is a foreign terrorist organization, the Pakistan Taliban under our law are a foreign te𓆉rrorist organizati💙on,” he said.
“Why would no🎐t the Taliban in Afghanistan be a foreign terrorist organization, because they're a bunch of damn terrorists. So, if I have our way, they will be designated a foreign t⛄errorist organization, we cannot legally give them a dime, we will isolate them, we will come after any country who empowers the Taliban,” he said.
“And I want to 𒁏tell every country out there, if you give these guys money, you're giving people money who have American blood on their hands and led to the first 9/11 and God allow the second 9/11. So, you're going to have a real꧃ problem with the US Congress if you legitimize the Taliban,” he said.
At least 14 members𒐪 of the Taliban's interim government are on the UN 🌠Security Council's terrorism blacklist, including acting Prime Minister Mullah Hasan and his both deputies.
The Taliban had promised an "inclusive"﷽ government that represents Afghanistan's complex ethnic makeup, but there is no Hazara member in the Cabinet. No woman has been named in the interim Cabinet.
