U.S. lawmakers want Pak-backed Haqqani network to be deemed 'terrorist' group

Washington, May 12 (ANI): Top Republicans and Democrats in the Senate and House of Representatives intelligence committees have written a letter to Hillary Clinton, urging her to immediately designate the militant Haqqani network as a "terrorist" group, claiming their trip to Afghanistan last week reaffirmed concerns about the network.

"It was clear that the Haqqani network continues to launch sensational and indiscriminate attacks against U.S. interests in Afghanistan and the group poses a continuing threat to innocent men, women, and children in the region," the lawmakers said, adding that "the Haqqanis have continued to attack US troops and the US Embassy in Kabul," the lawmakers wrote.

According to The Express Tribune, the letter said the administration may have been reluctant to designate the network as a "terrorist" group while trying to negotiate a reconciliation agreement with the Taliban.

The letter, signed by senators Dianne Feinstein and Saxby Chambliss and Representatives Mike Rogers and CA "Dutch" Ruppersberger, said there was no reason not to move forward on the designation.

State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the lawmakers' letter had been received, and that the review of the potential designation was still under way.

But she pointed out that many key Haqqani leaders had already been targeted by individual designations, freezing any U.S.-based assets they might have and barring any U.S. citizen from transactions with them.

"As we continue our review we consider it absolutely essential to designate individuals because that allows us to pursue the assets of individuals rather than have to sort of try to divine who might be covered by a blanket designation," Nuland said. (ANI)