Congresswoman Lauren Boebert introduced a bill to designate Afghanistan a state sponsor of terrorism. The Taliban has orchestrated and participated in numerous acts of international terror the last several decades. The group has never renounced al-Qaeda or severed its affiliation with them.
In addition, there is a close affiliation between the Taliban and ISIS. Both al-Qaeda and ISIS have continued to grow in the presence of the Taliban, according to U.S. officials.
According to reports, 2,000 highly trained ISIS fighters were released from prison. Thomas West, United States special representative for Afghanistan, said the U.S. is “deeply concerned about a number of other terrorist groups active in Afghanistan.”
A 2022 report from the United Nations said there are “no recent signs” 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 stated.
A 2021 United Nations report said ISIS was resurging and a “major negative development has been the Taliban’s inability to stem the expansion of ISIS.” American commanders have warned al-Qaeda and ISIS would have the capability to attack America 6-12 months after Biden’s botched Afghan withdrawal.
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.”
Designating a nation a state sponsor of terrorism imposes four categories of sanctions, 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.
