US crackdown on Haqqani network to make Karzai's reconciliation task tougher

Washington, July 23 (ANI): Taking a step closer towards declaring the dreaded Haqqani network a 'foreign terrorist organisation, the US Treasury Department has frozen the assets of one of its representative Nasiruddin Haqqani along with two other Taliban commanders.

A statement issued by the department said that action against Nasiruddin and other individuals, Gul Agha Ishakzai and Amir Abdullah was taken because of their actions supporting terrorism.

"The Haqqani Network is a Taliban-affiliated group of militants that operates out of North Waziristan Agency, Pakistan and has been spearheading insurgent activity in Afghanistan," The Dawn quoted the statement, as saying.

The official notification identified Nasiruddin as "an emissary for the Haqqani Network and brother of Sirajuddin Haqqani who leads the group with his father, Jalaluddin."

"Today's designation of three senior leaders and financiers for the Taliban and its affiliated Haqqani Network builds upon Treasury's longstanding efforts to deprive these extremists of the resources they need to execute their violent activities," Adam Szubin, director of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control, said.

"We will continue to aggressively work to expose and dismantle the financial networks of terrorist groups in support of the President's goal of a stable Afghanistan," Szubin added.

The Treasury Department's move has made the task of Afghan President Hamid Karzai more difficult, as he is seeking a reconciliation in the country involving all the different Taliban factions, including the Haqqani network, which has close ties with the Al-Qaeda.

The Pakistan government is also said to be involved in forging an agreement between the Haqqani network and the Afghan government.

Though the United States has also backed the reconciliation process considering the need of establishing peace in the war torn country, it is against any such truce with the Haqqani netork, which has been involved in many attacks on American troops in Afghanistan. (ANI)