On Friday, the Obama administration declared the Haqqani network,which is blamed for high profile attacks in Afghanistan, as terrorist.
The decision bans American citizens from doing business with membersof the group and blocks any assets the network holds in the US. Themove comes following Congress insisted secretary of the State, HillaryRodham Clinton to deliver a report on whether the Haqqanis should bedesignated as terrorist organization and all of its members subjectedto US financial sanctions.
The network is blamed for numbers of sophisticated attacks againstAfghan and foreign security forces during past few years, which havedealt effect on Kabul-Islamabad relation too. The network was found by Jalaluddin Haqqani during Soviet invasion and back then its memberswere labeled as freedom fighters. It had the support of Western andIslamic countries to fight back the Red forces.
Like some of other Islamist groups, the network turned against Westand metamorphosed into committed enemies of NATO and US.The network has also been a political concern among Islamabad, Kabuland foreign allies. The network isactive in North Waziristan and yet no serious efforts are made to hit thenetwork. Meanwhile, Islamabad rejects the allegations and insists onits counterinsurgency struggle. It says it has lost armies fightinginsurgent groups on its soils.
During past years the US has tried both diplomatic and military meansto weaken the network.
Reportedly, it held talks with Ibrahim Haqqani,the brother of JalaluddinHaqqani, the founder of the network in orderto motivate them to lay down arms and join peace deal. Meanwhile, itsdrone attacks never left their shadow on its shelters in tribal agencyareas and last month brought down a key figure, BadruddinHaqqani, theson of Jalaluddin who was playing key role in financing the network.
He had wide connections in the Arab world as well as was smugglingdrugs, the business which has become one of the major financialsources for insurgent groups in AFPAK regions.
Meanwhile, it should be noticed that the move is largely symbolicmove, and perhaps the network long ago cut ties with US markets. Itreceives cash from wealthy Arab individuals in the Gulf. Most of itsbusinesses are made without formal banking system and, thus, it mightnot feel the pressure of the sanctions.