US Senate bill seeks sanctions against Taliban government enablers

A bill has been introduced in the US Senate requiring assessments and imposition of sanctions on the Taliban and countries assisting it in Afghanistan.

The bill "Afghanistan Counterterrorism, Oversight, and Accountability Act" also seeks to establish a task force that will focus on continued evacuation of American citizens, legal permanent residents and Special Immigrant Visa holders from Afghanistan.

The bill is aimed at addressing several issues related to the Afghanistan withdrawal as well as providing strategies for counterterrorism in Afghanistan and sanctioning the Taliban for terrorism was introduced by 22 Republican senators.


"Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and not less frequently than annually thereafter, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense and the Director of National Intelligence, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on entities providing support to the Taliban," the bill says while further requiring an assessment of "support by state and non-state actors, including the Government of Pakistan, for the Taliban between 2001 and 2020, provision of sanctuary space, financial support, intelligence support, logistics and medical support, training, equipping, and tactical, operational, or strategic direction; (2) an assessment of support by state and non-state actors, including the Government of Pakistan, for the 2021 offensive of the Taliban that toppled the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, including the provision of sanctuary space, financial support, intelligence support, logistics and medical support..."