U.S Senators push legislation seeking 'terror outfit' designation for Haqqani Network

Washington, July 11 (ANI): Two key U.S. Senators have introduced a legislation in the U.S. Senate asking for the Haqqani Network to be designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO), saying it fits the criteria outlined for the FTO.

Senator Dianne Feinstein, head of the Senate Intelligence Committee and vice chairman of the committee Senator Saxby Chambliss issued a press release saying they have asked, in the bill, for the State Department to designate the Haqqani Network as an FTO, reports The Express Tribune.

The bill comes a day after the Congress was to vote on a bill calling for the Secretary of State to report whether the Haqqani Network met the criteria of being designated as an FTO or not. The House has yet to vote on that bill.

"You cannot negotiate with terrorists, and in my view that's exactly what the Haqqani Network is. I have urged the State Department to designate Haqqani as an FTO for more than two years. Meanwhile, the organisation continues to kill Americans in Afghanistan and launch brazen and indiscriminate attacks against innocent men, women and children in the region," said Senator Feinstein.

"The Haqqanis have conducted numerous attacks against our military personnel, assaulted our embassy in Kabul and continue to pose a grave threat to the security and interests of the United States. It is well past time to designate this network as a terrorist group," Senator Chambliss stated.

According to the criteria of the FTO designation, the organisation can be dubbed as such if it is foreign, engages in terrorist activity, which threatens the security of U.S. citizens or the national security of the U.S.

U.S. officials have repeatedly called on Pakistan to take action against the Haqqani Network, which they have blamed for a series of attacks on US-led forces in Afghanistan, and an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Kabul.

The press release said the Senators had also written to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in May, asking her to immediately designate the Haqqani Network as a FTO. (ANI)