New York: The Obama administration has decided to blacklist as a terrorist organization the Haqqani network, the militant organization responsible for some of the deadliest attacks against American troops in Afghanistan, the New York Times said on its website.
Designation by the State Department as a Foreign Terrorist Organization would bring sanctions such as criminal penalties for anyone providing material support to the group and seizure of any assets in the United States.
The administration was facing a congressional deadline this weekend.
The New York Times said senior officials who argued against blacklisting the group were concerned it could further damage relations with Pakistan and possibly jeopardize the fate of US Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl who is being held by the militants.
But State Department and military officials who argued for the designation believed it would help curtail the group’s fund-raising activities in countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and pressure Pakistan to act against the militants, the newspaper said.
“This shows that we are using everything we can to put the squeeze on these guys,” one administration official involved in the process told the New York Times on condition of anonymity. The newspaper said four administration officials late Thursday said the government was going ahead with the designation.
The al Qaeda-linked Haqqani network has been blamed by US officials for some of the worst recent attacks in Afghanistan, including attacks on the US Embassy in Kabul and on US troops.
The United States accuses Pakistan’s intelligence agency of supporting the Haqqani network and using it as a proxy in Afghanistan to gain leverage against the growing influence of its arch-rival India in the country.
Pakistan denies the allegations.
Courtesy Photo: Reuters
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