Republican Senator Marco Rubio is asking the Biden administration and Congress to name the Taliban forces as an international terrorist group; Rubio moreover believes the new government the Taliban created should be classified as a sponsor of terrorism.
Republican senators rolled out a law that would inhibit agencies and departments from acknowledging the Taliban as “government”
On Wednesday, the Republican senator from Florida is anticipated to roll out the law; this law would prohibit agencies and federal departments from engaging in any act which would imply or acknowledge the claim of sovereignty by the Taliban over Afghanistan.
The bill is backed by other Republican senators, namely Dan Sullivan of Alaska, Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina.
“Republican Sen. Marco Rubio is demanding Congress and the Biden administration designate the Taliban as a foreign terrorist organization and its new government as a state sponsor of terrorism” #DoNotRecogniseTaliban https://t.co/W07Mf3hCL0
— Maria Hayat (@mariahayat_) September 15, 2021
Rubio is likewise proposing an annual report and assessment coming from the State Department wherein countries that have “diplomatic relations” with the Taliban will be listed. Other foreign entities “knowingly” giving aid to the Taliban will on put on the list, as well.
The proposed legislation would also compel the Treasury Department of the U.S. to provide sanctions on persons providing aid to the Taliban. On the other hand, when it comes to humanitarian assistance, the legislation would ask USAID to assure that any assistance going to Afghanistan will not be passed to the terrorist group.
On top of this, the bill would also ban allocated funds from flowing to any jurisdiction wherein the head of the government was ousted by Coup d’etat. The State Department is likewise proposed to provide a yearly report on whether Pakistan is giving a safe harbor to terrorist organizations.
Rubio: Biden shows no signs that he will declare the Taliban a terrorist group
The bill additionally asks Customs and Border Protection in the U.S. to evaluate whether the importation of earth substances from Afghanistan infringes bans on importing goods produced by forced labor.
Rubio stated there is no doubt that an Afghanistan controlled by the Taliban poses a threat to the federal security interests of the United States; it also threatens America’s allies, and partners, both in Central Asia and the Middle East.
After the disastrous withdrawal of the U.S. forces from Afghanistan by the Biden administration, the war-torn nation is starting to become a safe haven for other terrorist groups that despise the United States, Rubio said.
Given all the factors in place by early summer, if in fact the people in charge of our foreign policy & military didn’t see the rapid collapse of the Afghan government coming, we have the wrong people in charge pic.twitter.com/8VZIc0Re2b
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) September 14, 2021
Rubio continued, claiming that unfortunately, Republicans see no signs that Biden will treat the insurgents in Afghanistan as terrorists. The Republican senator then added that for this, Congress should take steps to address the “new reality” and ensure the safety of Americans.
The proposal from the Republican senators came a week after the announcement made by the Taliban, declaring its formation of a new “government” after insurgents took over the country.
