Rep. Boebert Introduces Legislation to Designate Taliban-Controlled Afghanistan a State Sponsor of Terrorism
Congresswoman Lauren Boebert introduced a bill to designate Afghanistan a state sponsor of terrorism.
Congresswoman Boebert said, “As a result of Biden’s botched Afghanistan surrender that killed 13 American service members, Afghanistan has once again become a safe haven for terrorists. Equally troubling, these terrorists now have access to more than $7 billion of U.S. supplied weapons, ground vehicles, and aircraft that we left behind. ISIS and al Qaeda are flourishing, have close ties to the Taliban, and now have the capability to attack us on U.S. soil. One of the best ways to protect the American people from these terrorists is to stop the money from flowing by formally designating Afghanistan as a state sponsor of terrorism.”
Background:
Congresswoman Boebert introduced the Taliban Sponsor Terrorism Act, legislation that would designate Afghanistan as a state sponsor of terrorism.
The Taliban have orchestrated and participated in numerous acts of international terrorism over the last several decades. The Taliban has never renounced al Qaeda or broke off its affiliation with them, and they also have close affiliations with ISIS.
U.S. officials have warned that al Qaeda and ISIS continue to grow their presence in Afghanistan. In fact, 2000 highly-trained ISIS fighters were let out of prison. Thomas West, the U.S. special representative for Afghanistan, recently stated, “The U.S. is deeply concerned about a number of other terrorist groups active in Afghanistan.” He also pointed out that Ayman al Zawahiri was free to walk the streets of Kabul and was found living in a home owned by people who have senior positions within the new Taliban regime.
A 2022 United Nations report found, “There are no recent signs that the Taliban has taken steps to limit the activities of foreign terrorist fighters in the country. On the contrary, terrorist groups enjoy greater freedom there than at any time in recent history.” The report also found Osama Bin Laden’s son, Abdallah, “visited Afghanistan in October for meetings with the Taliban.” Finally, the 2022 UN report made clear that the terror group’s regional affiliate, al Qaeda, “retains a presence in Afghanistan…where the group fought alongside the Taliban.”
A 2021 UN report found ISIS was resurging and a “major negative development has been the Taliban’s inability to stem the expansion of ISIS.” This report also pointed out that U.S. commanders have warned that al Qaeda and ISIS would have the capability to attack the U.S. six to 12 months after Biden’s disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal. News outlets also recently reported on the Taliban posting “ISIS-style execution videos showing prisoners being shot dead by cheering fanatics as they copy terror group's tactics to instill fear among Afghan resistance fighters.”
When Biden was vice president, his administration released multiple Taliban terrorists from Guantanamo Bay. After Biden returned to the White House, four of these released terrorists went on to join the Taliban’s Afghanistan government cabinet as the director of intelligence, the deputy defense minister, the minister of borders and tribal affairs, and the minister of information and culture.
Under U.S. law, designating a nation a state sponsor of terrorism imposes four main categories of sanctions on a country, including:
- A ban on arms exports and sales.
- Restrictions on exporting dual-use items that could enhance the country’s terrorist activities and military capability.
- Prohibitions on tax dollars providing economic assistance to terrorist nations.
- Financial restrictions, including: U.S. opposition to World Bank loans, prohibiting defense contracts for companies controlled by terrorist nations, and restrictions on government contracts being awarded to companies associated with the terrorist country.
Co-sponsors of Rep. Boebert’s bill to designate Afghanistan a State Sponsor of Terrorism include: Reps. Ken Buck (CO-04), Louie Gohmert (TX-01), Jody Hice (GA-10), Mary Miller (IL-15), Troy Nehls (TX-22), Scott Perry (PA-10), and Tom Tiffany (WI-07).
The full text of Congresswoman Lauren Boebert’s bill to designate Afghanistan a State Sponsor of Terrorism is available here.