U.N. to enforce curbs on Taliban

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

UNITED NATIONS, JULY 31. The United Nations Security Council has adopted a two-track mechanism to help further enforce the sanctions regime against the Taliban in Afghanistan. The Security Council has called on all countries to take immediate steps to prevent sanctions violations and to punish individuals and organisations flouting the sanctions regime.

The Council on Monday unanimously adopted a resolution calling for the setting up two monitoring groups - a 15-member team that will be sent to countries neighbouring Afghanistan and a five- member group that will stay back in the headquarters here for supervision.

The United States and Russia were leading the efforts to tighten the screws against the Taliban. While the U.S. has been pressuring the extremist outfit in Kabul to hand over the exiled Saudi national, Osama bin Laden, Russia has for a long time been paying close attention to the role of Islamic extremists in the ongoing troubles in Chechenya. And China too has been quite wary of the spread of Islamic fundamentalism via the Taliban.

The Security Council has given the Secretary General 30 days to establish the two monitoring groups. The first group will be sent to the six bordering countries of Afghanistan namely, China, Pakistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan which are seen as lacking in facilities to monitor the existing sanctions regime that includes an arms embargo.

The U.S. and Russia will be the two major suppliers of equipment and technical expertise, it is said. The 15-member Sanctions Enforcement Support Team will comprise experts who are knowledgeable in such areas as counter-terrorism, border security and customs. The five-member Monitoring Group will consist of experts in the areas of arms embargoes and counter-terrorism.

In some ways, the focus will be on Pakistan, the only country in the neighbourhood that has recognised the Taliban as the legitimate rulers of Afghanistan. Islamabad has come under a lot of flak for violating the embargo by giving the Taliban military advisers, funds and ammunition. Pakistan has brushed aside charges of violating the sanctions requirement.

Upon the blowing up of two American embassies in Africa in 1998, the Security Council got into the picture - it froze the assets of the Taliban and placed a ban on international flights of Afghanistan's Ariana Airlines in November 1999. Last December, the arms embargo was added. The arms embargo has been criticised for not being comprehensive in the sense that it leaves out the United Front, the Opposition to the Taliban in the North.

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Section  : International
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