Taliban remain adamant in face of sanctions

With the second round of UN-imposed sanctions set to begin on Friday, Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers remain more adamant than ever they will not give up Osama bin Laden, accused by the United States of masterminding the east Africa embassy bombings in the summer of 1998. But they admit the sanctions will have a “devastating effect” on the common Afghan people. “The issue of Osama bin Laden is not an issue related to Afghanistan, but to Islam in general,” Taliban Ambassador to Pakistan Abdul Salam Zaeef told IRIN on Wednesday. “The act of handing over Osama to the Americans, without any justification and without any proof or evidence to show and clarify his involvement in terrorist activities, would be an action contrary to the rules and principles of Islam, which by no means we will do,” he added. Speaking at a press conference on the impact the new sanctions would have on the people of Afghanistan, Zaeef criticised reports that the sanctions were targeted at the Taliban regime and not the Afghan people, describing them as baseless claims and lies. “The people and the government of Afghanistan are joined together inseparably,” Zaeef said. “If the sanctions are directed towards the government of Afghanistan, it will directly have an impact on the Afghan people.” Describing the sanctions as a “human rights violation”, Zaeef told reporters: “Of the 12 million people living in Afghanistan today, some two million people are on the verge of starvation.” He added with a malnutrition rate currently standing at 70 percent, “the imposition of these sanctions would only further deepen this rate.” He said the situation of the Afghan people would only worsen once the second round of sanctions was imposed due to an already declining supply of medicine and humanitarian assistance. In terms of economic hardship, he said most people had already lost their main source of income, particularly in the areas of livestock and animal breeding, and predicted the country would suffer an estimated US $600 million per month in damages. Food commodities, which have doubled in price in recent months, are already out of reach to most of the Afghan population. Moreover, the Afghan currency has dropped in value by some 20 percent since the decision by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC)to impose further sanctions, he added. According to a December US government report, the first set of sanctions imposed by UNSC Resolution 1267 were carefully written to avoid exacerbating the hardships already facing the Afghan people. The sanctions were specific, targeting only the aircraft, bank accounts and other financial assets of the Taliban. They do not impede the flow of humanitarian aid, including food and medicine, nor do they prohibit private sector trade and commerce. Furthermore, the sanctions, specifically allow exemptions for flights related to humanitarian emergencies and religious obligations, the report said. In an effort to force the extradition of alleged terrorist Osama bin Laden, as well as bring about an end to the Taliban’s alleged support of terrorism, the next round of sanctions is set to come into play on Friday. They further target the Taliban administration by imposing a unilateral arms embargo against the regime. The existing ban of the Taliban’s financial assets is extended to include the freezing of funds and other financial assets of bin Laden and associated individuals. Moreover, the Security Council resolution also requested that all Member States with diplomatic ties to the ruling Taliban movement reduce their staff at Taliban missions and restrict movement of staff that remained. States were also called upon to extend the ban on international Ariana Airlines flights by closing its offices in their territories. The new round of sanctions, however, maintains a number of humanitarian exemptions, including special clearance to continue humanitarian flights by relief agencies working in Afghanistan. “No matter what sacrifices we will pay with respect to Osama, we are not ready, because of the divine rules of the Koran, to submit him to the Americans,” Zaeef said.