Taliban reacts to US Senate Bill seeking to sanction Islamic Emirate
Sep 30, 2021
Kabul [Afghanistan], September 30 : Expressing its displeasure over a bill that seeks to impose sanctions on Taliban in Afghanistan, the outfit on Thursday stated that the imposition of sanctions on the Islamic Emirate will "repeat the failed policies" of the US in Afghanistan, local media said.
This comes after more than 20 US Senators on Tuesday introduced legislation to impose sanctions on the Taliban and the foreign governments that support the outfit.
"Any sanction causes harm to Afghanistan's interest and its people, and should not be imposed; the Taliban should be asked to engage politically with the international community," political analyst Hekmatullah Hikmat was quoted as saying by TOLO News, reported.
Afghanistan is "not capable of overcoming the sanctions because over 20 million people are in grave need of humanitarian assistance", said political analyst Abdul Naseer Rishtia.
The legislation titled the 'Afghanistan Counterterrorism, Oversight, and Accountability Act', seeks to address the outstanding issues related to the Administration's rushed withdrawal from Afghanistan.
"The chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan was as awful as it was avoidable. It was unwise and unrealistic for the Administration to stick to its arbitrary August 31st deadline, which resulted in hundreds of Americans and tens of thousands of our most loyal allies -- drivers, translators, guides, and others -- and vulnerable Afghans such as women leaders being left behind in Afghanistan in dire jeopardy," said Senator Collins on the legislation introduced by Senator Jim Risch.
An official release stated the new legislation would establish a US State Department task force to focus on the evacuation of American citizens, legal permanent residents, and Afghan Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) who are still stuck in Afghanistan.
The bill also intends to probe into Pakistan's support to the Taliban for the 2021 offensive that toppled the Afghan government. It further calls for an assessment of "support by state and non-state actors, including the Government of Pakistan.
