The United States has lifted millions of dollars in bounties on three senior members of the Haqqani network, including Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban government’s interior minister. This significant policy change marks a new approach toward the leaders of the group, which has been responsible for some of the deadliest attacks during the US-led war in Afghanistan.
Sirajuddin Haqqani previously featured as one of Washington’s top targets, with a bounty of $10 million (€9 million) offered for information leading to his capture. Alongside him, the names of Abdul Aziz Haqqani and Yahya Haqqani have also been removed from the US State Department’s Rewards for Justice website. Despite the removal of the bounties, all three individuals remain designated as Specifically Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs), and the Haqqani network continues to be listed as both a Foreign Terrorist Organization and an SDGT entity.
A spokesperson for the State Department informed AFP that the US “consistently reviews and refines” its reward offers as part of its broader policy.
This decision follows a visit to Afghanistan by US hostage envoy Adam Boehler last week, marking the first diplomatic visit by a high-ranking American official since the Taliban regained power in 2021. Boehler’s discussions with Taliban representatives led to the release of American citizen George Glezman, who had been detained in Afghanistan during a personal visit in 2022.
In January, Secretary of State Marco Rubio mentioned on social media that should more American citizens held in Afghanistan not be released, the US might consider reinstating or increasing reward offers for Taliban leaders.
The Taliban-led government remains unrecognised by any country as it continues to impose severe restrictions on civil liberties and women’s rights in Afghanistan. Following Donald Trump’s administration, which oversaw a peace agreement in 2020 that facilitated the US military withdrawal in 2021, the Taliban has maintained its stance in governance.
According to US-based Afghan political analyst Abdul Wahed Faqiri, the removal of the bounties is “largely symbolic,” suggesting it may serve to lend credibility to Sirajuddin Haqqani as he emerges as a potentially more moderate alternative to other prominent leaders within the Afghan government.
Source : DW
