WASHINGTON: The United States, Saudi Arabia and five other Gulf states sanctioned nine Taliban functionaries on Tuesday, claiming they were working with Iran to undermine the stability of Afghan government.

The targeted individuals, including two Pakistanis and four Afghans, were designated global terrorists by all seven member states of the Terrorist Financing Targeting Centre (TFTC). The TFTC — which includes the US, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) — was formed in May 2017.

The US Treasury Department said in Washington that the action allows the governments to freeze property or interest in property of these individuals under their jurisdiction.

The Treasury said that some of the targeted individuals were “facilitating Iranian support to bolster” the Taliban while others were “Iranian regime sponsors”.

Action allows the governments to freeze property of these individuals under their jurisdiction

“The TFTC has (been)… disrupting and exposing key Taliban members who are involved in suicide attacks, and other lethal activities,” said US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. “We are also targeting key Iranian sponsors providing financial and material support to the Taliban.”

The official US statement said the designations support President Trump’s South Asia Strategy. The first on the list is Mohammad Ebrahim Owhadi, an alleged officer of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF), who allegedly concluded an agreement with the Taliban deputy shadow governor for Herat, Abdullah Samad Faroqui, for providing military and financial assistance in return for Samad’s forces attacking the Afghan government in Herat. Esma’il Razavi was designated for acting on behalf of the IRGC-QF and for providing financial, material, or technological support and other services to the Taliban.

Abdullah Samad Faroqui, Iran’s alleged Taliban partner, was also designated for accepting weapons and military aid from Iran. Samad allegedly also visited a training camp in Birjand, Iran, where the IRGC-QF was training Taliban fighters to attack a proposed pipeline in Afghanistan.

Mohammad Daoud Muzzamil, a former Taliban deputy shadow governor for Helmand, is now the shadow governor for Farah Province. In early 2017, Daoud was appointed a leader of the Taliban’s Quetta Military Commission.

Abdul Rahim Manan is the Taliban shadow governor for Helmand, who allegedly provided a large number of Taliban fighters to attack Afghan government forces.

Naim Barich is the Taliban shadow minister of foreign affairs and manages Taliban’s relations with Iran.

Abdul Aziz, an alleged Pakistan-based narcotics trafficker, provides funds to the Taliban Quetta Shura and travels to the Gulf to collect money for the Shura.

Sadr Ibrahim, a member the Taliban’s Military Commission, was a Defence Ministry official during the Taliban’s rule in Afghanistan.

Hafiz Majid, a Pakistan-based senior member of the Taliban Shura, was an adviser to Mullah Omar and was the security chief for Kandahar in the Taliban regime.

Besides, there were two other members of the Taliban designated as terrorists.

Published in Dawn, October 24th, 2018

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