US slaps sanctions on Taliban commander, financing company

WASHINGTON: The US has slapped sanctions on a Taliban commander and a Pakistan-based financing company and its owner for funding the terrorist outfit.

The Department of Treasury imposed sanctions on hawala or money transfer business, Haji Basir and Zarjmil Company (Basir Zarjmil Hawala) and designated its owner, Haji Abdul Basir, as a global terrorist for providing financial services or other support to the Taliban.

In addition, Taliban commander Qari Rahmat has also been designated as a global terrorist for acting for or on behalf of the Taliban, an official statement said.

Rahmat has been a Taliban commander since at least February 2010 and has collected taxes and bribes on behalf of the Taliban, the US Treasury Department said.

"The Taliban continues to conduct terrorist attacks against US forces and innocent civilians, posing a direct threat to US national security interests," said David Cohen, the Treasury's under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, in a statement.

"Designating and isolating individuals who are directly involved in financing and supporting Taliban attacks remains a key Treasury Department objective. We will continue to work to deprive terrorists of the funds necessary to sustain and perpetrate terrorist operations," Cohen said.

Treasury Department said the financing company, located in Balochistan, distributes money to Taliban members in Afghanistan.

Taliban senior leaders in Quetta, Balochistan, and Chaman have preferred to transfer money to Taliban commanders through the Basir Zarjmil Hawala and the Haji Khairullah Haji Sattar hawala, which the Treasury Department and the United Nations sanctioned in June 2012.

In 2013, the Basir Zarjmil Hawala distributed thousands of dollars to Taliban commanders in Chaman, and in 2012 it conducted thousands of dollars in transactions related to weapons and other operational expenses for the Taliban.

The company has also made use of Pakistani banks to provide money to Taliban members, the Treasury said.