Obama paves way to put 'Foreign Terrorist Organisation' tag on Haqqani Network

Washington, Aug 12 (ANI): U.S. President Barack Obama has signed the Haqqani Network Terrorist Designation Act of 2012 into law, which requires the U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to submit a report on whether the group meets the legal criteria for being labeled as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO).

According to The Express Tribune, Clinton will have to file the report within 30 days.

Many lawmakers in the U.S. Congress have urged the Obama administration to designate the Haqqani Network as an FTO. The group has been accused of spearheading attacks on U.S. forces and the U.S. embassy in Afghanistan.

The Obama administration is reportedly reluctant to put the group on the terrorism list while U.S. envoys are trying to negotiate a peace deal with the Taliban that may have included the Haqqani network.

"The Haqqanis are engaged in a reign of terror in Afghanistan and the network poses the single largest threat for IEDs our soldiers face in that country," said Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.

"They actively plot and kill U.S. and allied soldiers and routinely harm innocent Afghan civilian men, women and children in their path," he added.

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, during a trip to Afghanistan in June, had emphasised the key role the Haqqani network has played in numerous attacks, and called on Pakistan to take action against it. (ANI)