Turning up the heat: US blacklists Haqqani network

Move will trigger sanctions against the group, put Pakistan under pressure.

MASSACHUSETTS/ WELLESLEY:

Ending weeks of speculation, the United States said on Friday it is designating the Haqqani network as a terrorist organisation, in a move that will turn the heat on Pakistan where the group is allegedly based.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she has told the Congress that she will brand the Haqqani network as a foreign terrorist organisation, subjecting the group and its members to additional sanctions, including an asset freeze.

A US official said the formal designation would be made in the coming days.

“We also continue our robust campaign of diplomatic, military and intelligence pressure on the network, demonstrating the United States’ resolve to degrade the organisation’s ability to execute violent attacks,” said Clinton, who was in Vladivostok, Russia for an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit.

The Obama administration is facing a congressional deadline this weekend to determine whether the network met the criteria for such designation.

A senior US official, requesting anonymity, said Pakistani leaders did not express concern over the move. US officials did not foresee the designation having a negative impact on relations with Pakistan, he added.

Another US official said they will also be talking to government officials from countries where they believe the Haqqani network has assets and urge them to freeze those assets.

Haqqani reaction

Senior Haqqani commanders warned the US that the designation would hurt Afghan peace, telling Reuters that it showed Washington was not sincere about peace efforts in Afghanistan.

“It means the United States is not sincere in their talks. They are on the one hand claiming to look for a political solution to the Afghan issue while on the other they are declaring us terrorists,” said one of the commanders.

The commanders also said it would bring hardship for America’s only prisoner of war, Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, who is being held by the militants.

“Until now we treated him very well but this move by the United States will of course create hardships for him,” said another Haqqani commander.

‘Internal matter’

Pakistan described the move as an internal matter for the United States.

“This is an internal matter for the United States. It is not our business. The Haqqanis are not Pakistani nationals. We will continue to work with all international partners, including the US in combating extremism and terrorism,” Pakistan Embassy in Washington said in a statement.

However, officials say the American move would increase pressure on the Pakistani government.

A senior Pakistani security official said blacklisting the Haqqani network would be counterproductive and would put unnecessary pressure on Islamabad, a strategic US ally.

“If the United States wants to have a constructive relationship with Pakistan, then this is a bad move,” the official told Reuters. “This will push Pakistan into a corner.”

Mafia group

The Haqqanis run a sophisticated and diverse financial network comparable to a mafia group, according to a July report by the Centre for Combating Terrorism.

It said the group raised money through kidnapping, extortion and drug trafficking but also had a business portfolio that included import/export, transport, real estate and construction interests in Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Persian Gulf. (With additional input from Reuters)

Published in The Express Tribune, September 8^th, 2012.