UN implements sanctions against ruling Taliban

The second round of sanctions against the ruling Taliban movement in Afghanistan went into effect on Friday after the group's repeated refusal to turn over Osama bin Laden, indicted in the United States for masterminding the bombings of two American embassies in Africa in 1998, and to cease providing sanctuary and training for international terrorists and their organisations, the UN announced on Friday. The tighter sanctions outlined in UN Security Council resolution 1333 and agreed upon on 19 December 2000 gave the Taliban group one month to comply or face implementation. According to the UN, the new sanctions include an arms embargo covering all types of weapons and related material, in addition to a ban on the provision of technical training or advice related to the military activities of armed personnel under Taliban control. Furthermore, those countries with diplomatic ties with the Taliban (Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates) were urged to significantly reduce the number and level of staff at Taliban missions operating within their territories and to restrict the movement of remaining staff. The fresh round of sanctions also calls for the freezing of all funds and other financial assets of Osama bin Laden and those individuals or entities associated with him, the UN reported. It added under a flight ban, countries are required to deny any aircraft permission to take off from, land in, or overfly their territories if that aircraft is coming from, or is destined for, an area currently under the control of the Taliban regime. Moreover, the ban requires the immediate closure of all Ariana Afghan Airlines' offices operating in member states' territories. The UN report added, however, that the UN Security Council had provided a number of humanitarian exemptions to the sanctions including humanitarian flights operated by, or on behalf of, organisations or relief agencies to be subsequently named by the Security Council committee monitoring the issue. In addition, the arms embargo does not apply to supplies of non-lethal military equipment used for humanitarian or protective uses, the report said. Read the complete copy of UN Security Council resolution 1333.