U.S. Confirms Five Taliban Taken Off U.N. Terror List

Washington, D.C., United States (AHN) – United Nations has taken off five members of the Afghan Taliban from a U.N. sanctions blacklist, the U.S. confirmed on Friday.

The U.S. State Department spokesman PJ Crowley told journalists, “We obviously welcome today’s announcement on the delisting of five Afghan Taliban names under the 1267 process. These are individuals who have cut ties with al-Qaida and accepted the Afghan constitution and have given up the fight.”

“So this is an ongoing process and we continue our conversations within the U.N. and we’ll look to see — to make sure that the 1267 process is dynamic,” added Crowley.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai in recent times has been advocating a reintegration plan for Taliban leaders if they renounce violence and accept Afghan Constitution.

There is a list of 137 terror-linked names under review by a U.N. Security Council committee to reassess the financial freeze of their assets and ongoing ban on travels. The U.N. blacklist was established in 1999 under U.N. Resolution 1267.

Abdul Hakim Mujahid Muhammad Awrang was representing Taliban at the UN when it ruled Afghanistan, Abdul Salam Zaeef who was Taliban’s ambassador to Islamabad, Pakistan, Abdul Satar Paktin, who served in the Taliban ministries of foreign affairs and public health, were among the five.

Muhammad Islam Mohammadi, governor of Bamiyan province during Taliban rule and Abdul Samad Khaksar, another official in the Taliban government were also listed but they are already dead.

When questioned about the money and assets of these two dead individuals, Crowley told journalists, “this is something that we worked through as part of the process. We understand that in these cases you’ve got family relationships, tribal relationships, and we took that into account.”

Further pressed to clarify if the U.S. is not concerned where the money is going, Crowley said, “It is something that we have watched carefully. But again, we’re doing two things. We obviously don’t want to take steps that add risk on the battlefield. But at the same time, we are supporting the Afghan-led process that opens – paves the way and opens the door for important steps on the political front as well.”

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