Young, Colleagues Introduce the Taliban Sanctions Act

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) and a group of Senate colleagues introduced the Taliban Sanctions Act to hold the Taliban accountable with sanctions for terrorism, human rights abuses, and drug trafficking.

“The Taliban is responsible for the deaths of thousands of Americans, NATO servicemembers, and Afghan civilians over the past two decades. The Taliban has taken advantage of the Biden Administration’s tragic withdrawal from Afghanistan and is once again making Afghanistan a staging ground for terrorism. It is important that we continue to be vigilant in preventing the Taliban from obtaining financial resources while it continues its abuses, and this legislation will push back on the Taliban’s malign ideology and actions,” said Senator Young.

The Taliban Sanctions Act includes: 

• Sanctions relating to support for terrorism;
• Sanctions relating to human rights abuses;
• Sanctions relating to drug trafficking; and
• Support for multilateral sanctions with respect to the Taliban.

The Taliban Sanctions Act also establishes clear benchmarks for the suspension of sanctions against the Taliban, to include demanding the Taliban:

• Publicly and privately break all ties with other terrorist groups, including al Qaeda;
• Take verifiable measures to prevent the use of Afghanistan as a platform for terrorist attacks against the United States or partners or allies of the United States, including by denying sanctuary space, transit of Afghan territory, and use of Afghanistan for terrorist training, planning, or equipping;
• Provide humanitarian actors with full, unimpeded access to vulnerable populations throughout Afghanistan without interference or diversion;
• Respect freedom of movement, including by facilitating the departure of foreign nationals, applicants for the special immigrant visa program, and other at-risk Afghans by air or land routes, and the safe, voluntary, and dignified return of displaced persons; and
• Support the establishment of an inclusive government of Afghanistan that respects the rule of law, press freedom, and human rights, including the rights of women and girls.

In addition to Senator Young, Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) introduced the legislation. 

Full text of the legislation can be found here.