The Obama administration has decided to blacklist the Haqqani network as a terrorist organisation, a report said on Friday.
According to the New York Times, which has quoted several American officials, the decision in this regard is expected to be announced as early as Friday.
Based in Washington, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in its recent report that the Haqqani Network has been an effective fighting force and proxy of the Pakistani security services for the better part of 30 years.
The debate on the issue reached a peak in August under the pressure of a Congressional reporting deadline on September 10.
Designating the Haqqani network a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) by the US would undercut its financial capability, the American think-tank has said in its latest report.
However, some US officials, including several in the White House, expressed deep reservations that blacklisting the group could further damage badly frayed relations with Pakistan and undercut peace talks with the Taliban, reported the New York Times.
However, senior counterterrorism officials have advocated designating the Haqqani network as the FTO.
On Wednesday, the ISW published a detailed backgrounder titled, “The Haqqani Network: a Foreign Terrorist Organisation”, in which its author Jeffrey Dressler, argues that financial capacity is a critical capability of the Haqqani Network, a fact that distinguishes it from other insurgent groups operating in Afghanistan.
“The Haqqani Network business enterprise, comprised of licit as well as illicit elements, extends beyond the region and into the Persian Gulf.”
“The Haqqanis also maintain an international fundraising network which serves to resource their tactical and operational activities. According to the United Nations, Haqqani Network operatives maintain links to the Gulf states, South and East Asia, and possibly as far as South America,” Dressler said.
“FTO designation would effectively prohibit US business dealings with companies affiliated with the network, he said, adding that it would increase the network’s cost of doing business, reduce its access to capital, and constrain the network’s financial resources, thereby limiting their freedom to operate in a local, regional, and international context.”
–Agencies