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Despite its long history of supporting and carrying out terrorist acts, the Taliban is not designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and colleagues reintroduced the Preventing Recognition of Terrorist States Act to direct the U.S. Secretary of State to designate the illegitimate Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan as a state sponsor of terrorism and the Taliban as a FTO.

• “A Taliban-controlled Afghanistan poses a direct threat to our national security interests as well as our allies and partners both in the Middle East and in Central Asia. The Biden Administration’s botched military withdrawal from Afghanistan has left the nation as a safe haven for anti-American terrorists. Designating the Taliban as an FTO is the next logical step. ” – Senator Rubio

Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) are original cosponsors.

• “Two years after the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, we’ve seen what this radical terrorist group is capable of. Not only do they aid and abet terrorism, they continue to violate human rights, especially those of women and young children. By designating the Taliban as a foreign terrorist organization and preventing U.S. recognition of their regime, this legislation takes necessary steps to correct one of the Biden administration’s most disastrous foreign policy mistakes.” – Senator Capito

Want more information? 

• September 2021: Rubio Introduces Bill to Designate Taliban as a Foreign Terrorist Organization