New York: The Obama administration has decided to designate Pakistan-based dreaded Haqqani network as a terrorist group, a key move that US officials say could both pressurise Islamabad to act militarily against the outfit and further damage the already frail bilateral ties. The New York Times quoted American officials as saying that the decision is expected to be announced shortly. “This shows that we are using everything we can to put the squeeze on these guys (Haqqanis),” an administration official told the paper on condition of anonymity.
Another senior administration official said the designation “is a very strong signal of our resolve to combat the Haqqanis.”
The administration has been debating the option for nearly two years amid mounting pressure to take a concrete step on the matter, as a Congressional deadline approached.
Congress had approved a legislation that President Barack Obama signed into law on August 10. The law gives Secretary of State Hillary Clinton 30 days to determine whether the Haqqani network is a terrorist group, and report her decision to lawmakers by September 9.
Several State Department and military officials say that designating the organisation would help hurt the group’s fund-raising activities in countries like Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates, besides putting pressure on Pakistan to open a long-expected military offensive against the militants. Many senior counter-terrorism officials as well as top American military officers, including Gen John Allen, who commands the American and NATO troops in Afghanistan, have said that designating the outfit should be a top priority.
The other view in Washington is that of deep reservation with officials in the White House arguing that blacklisting the group could further damage frail relations with Pakistan, undercut peace talks with the Taliban and possibly jeopardise the fate of Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, who has been held by the Haqqani network since 2009. The United States would have to release five insurgents from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in exchange for Bergdahl’s freedom. Critics of the move to designate the Haqqanis as a terrorist group say the decision would “bring Pakistan a step closer to being designated as a state sponsor of terrorism.”
American officials have said Pakistan’s powerful spy agency ISI secretly supports the insurgents, while Pakistani officials say the agency maintains regular contact with the Haqqanis but does not provide operational support. Two Pakistani officials said last week that the decision was “an internal American issue.” (PTI)
