In a major legislative crackdown against the Pakistani Taliban, also known as the Tehrik-e-Taliban (TTP), the United States Department of Treasury, has slapped the terrorist group with sanctions.
In addition to “designating” the militant outfit — following which action the Treasury may freeze any assets of the organisation and effectively ban all U.S. entities from trading with it — the Treasury has also applied sanctions to Hakeemullah Mehsud, the Pakistani Taliban’s commander. While Mr. Mehsud was thought to have been killed in a U.S. drone strike in January, a video released by the Pakistani Taliban in May has led to claims that he might have survived the attack.
Speaking to media at a briefing, Daniel Benjamin, from the Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism, said, “Today I am pleased to announce the designation of the Tehrik-e Taliban as both a Foreign Terrorist Organization and as a Special Designated Global Terrorist Organization, in tandem with the designation of two of its senior leaders, Hakimullah Mehsud and Wali Ur Rehman.”
Mr. Benjamin added that the designations were part of the U.S.’ multipronged approach to “disrupt and dismantle TTP in Pakistan and that they would help to stem the flow of finances to the TTP and provide the Department of Justice with a “critical tool” to prosecute those who knowingly provide material support to the TTP and its senior leaders.
In addition, he said, the DoJ’s ‘Rewards for Justice Program’ had announced a $5 million reward for any information leading to the arrest of Mr. Mehsud or Mr. Rehman. An arrest warrant for Mr. Mehsud had also been filed and he had further been charged with “conspiracy to murder U.S. citizens abroad and conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction.”
These charges related to Mr. Mehsud’s alleged involvement in the murder of seven American citizens at a U.S. military base in Khost, Afghanistan in 2009, Mr. Benjamin noted.
Robert Hartung, Assistant Director of the Threat Investigations and Analysis Directorate in the Bureau of Diplomatic Security added that it was under the direction of Mr. Mehsud and Mr. Rehman that that the TTP also planned the failed bombing in New York City’s Time Square.
Touching upon the broader threat perception of the TTP, Mr. Benjamin noted that the TTP was “very much part of the most dangerous terrorist threat the U.S. faces.” He explained that the TTP and al-Qaeda had a symbiotic relationship: the TTP drew ideological guidance from al-Qaeda while al-Qaeda relied on the TTP for safe haven in the Pashtun areas along the Afghan-Pakistani border, he said.
