29 November 1999
Fact Sheet: Sanctions Against the Taliban in Afghanistan
(Document addresses distortions in regional media about UN sanctions) (1030) The following fact sheet was released by the Department of State November 29: (begin text) AFGHANISTAN FACT SHEET FACT SHEET No. 1 UNSC RESOLUTION 1267 SANCTIONS AGAINST THE TALIBAN IN AFGHANISTAN NOTE: Taliban-controlled mass media in Afghanistan, regional, and international media are distorting the content and expected effects of the sanctions against the Taliban unanimously imposed by the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1267 -- including by Bahrain, Malaysia, and China. Below are some of the most common distortions and facts, which counter these untruths. FALLACY: The UN sanctions are aimed against the people of Afghanistan. "... a blatant act of hostility against the Afghan people who have made great sacrifices during two decades of war." Kabul Radio Voice of Shari'ah, 11/16/99 "The USA...has imposed economic sanctions...has decided to rub salt on the wounds of the Afghan people...." Mazar-i-Sharif Radio Voice of Shari'ah, 11/15/99 FACT: UN sanctions are not against Afghanistan. They are not against the Afghan people. The Taliban movement, which refuses to cooperate with the international community, is the target of the sanctions. FALLACY: The U.S. wants to impose a government on Afghanistan. "[The U.S.] wants to impose its own puppet regime of enslavement on Afghans...and prevent the introduction of Islamic Shari'ah law." Mazar-i-Sharif Radio Voice of Shari'ah, 11/15/99 FACT: UNSC Resolution 1267, which was adopted unanimously by the UN Security Council, including by the United States, Bahrain, Malaysia, China, and 11 other countries, is solely focused on terrorism. The text of the resolution explicitly states respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan. FALLACY: The U.S. is anti-Islam. Leaders and spokesmen for violent, radical movements based in Pakistan denounced the U.S. as anti-Islam for imposing sanctions against Afghanistan. Ausuf (Urdu daily in Pakistan), 11/15/99 FACT: The U.S., and the international community as represented by the UN Security Council, have no quarrel with Islam. Islam is one of the fastest-growing faiths in the U.S. Over six million Muslims practice their faith freely in hundreds of mosques in the U.S. FALLACY: The UN sanctions will devastate health care in Afghanistan. "... one of the sectors which will be most affected [by the UN sanctions] is health....the supply of medicines will dry up." Ausuf (Urdu daily in Pakistan), 11/16/99 FACT: The UN sanctions were carefully crafted to minimize the impact on the Afghan people. They allow humanitarian activity and private trade to continue. Almost all trade in Afghanistan is conducted by the private sector. Traders are free to continue to import medicine and medical supplies into Afghanistan. Even before the sanctions took effect, it was the Taliban itself which refused to supply minimally acceptable health care to the people of Afghanistan, preferring to expend its resources to continue the senseless civil war. FALLACY: Because of the sanctions, trade will dry up and, consequently, thousands of Pakistanis will lose their jobs. "Thousand of Pakistanis will lose their employment as a result of economic sanctions against Afghanistan ... transport companies will have to close down." Ausuf (Urdu daily in Pakistan) 11/16/99 FACT: The UN Sanctions do not address private trade. They target only the aircraft, bank accounts, and other financial assets of the Taliban. Private trade will continue, as it always has in Afghanistan. FALLACY: Poverty will soar in Afghanistan since Afghans can no longer receive remittances from abroad via international mail, which the sanctioned Ariana Airline delivered. The poverty-stricken citizens of Afghanistan will no longer be able to receive remittances from their relatives in other countries because the sanctioned Ariana airlines carried international mail to Afghanistan. Widely reported by the Western media, including BBC, CNN, and The Washington Post. FACT: There is no reason for sanctions to affect remittances to ordinary citizens. The Universal Postal Union has already offered to help Afghanistan receive mail by overland routes. If the Taliban wishes to cooperate in this effort, it can. Furthermore, most remittances reach Afghanistan through the informal banking system of transfers by money-changers (hundai), which is commonly used in the Middle East and South Asia. FALLACY: The U.S. refuses to talk to the Taliban. "The U.S. showed indecent haste in imposing sanctions and not giving mediation a chance...." Dawn (English daily in Pakistan), 11/17/99 FACT: Security Council Resolution 1267 is clear. In order for UN sanctions to be lifted, bin Laden must be turned over to authorities in a country where he can be brought to justice. The U.S. has met with various Taliban officials more than 20 times. To date, our discussions with the Taliban have not resulted in any resolution of the matter of bin Laden, but we are prepared to continue these discussions. FALLACY: The U.S. wants to use the UN sanctions to starve the Afghan people into submission. Many Afghans will starve to death this winter because they will not be able to find, or to afford to buy, wheat. Widely reported in regional and international mass media. FACT: Almost all trade in foodstuffs is conducted by the private sector in Afghanistan. The UN sanctions do not prohibit private trade. Further, neither U.S. nor UN sanctions prohibit the delivery of humanitarian assistance, including food, to Afghanistan. In fact, in response to the most recent food crisis caused by the dramatic increase of internally displaced persons as a result of Taliban military offensives and of their scorched-earth policy, the U.S. has pledged $575,000 and is considering additional contributions which will likely total over $1 million for emergency humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan. This year the U.S. provided the International committee of the Red cross with 47.8 million for its South Asia programs, the bulk of which is used to respond to conflict victims and internally displaced persons in Afghanistan. U.S. assistance for Afghans inside and outside their country in this past fiscal year totaled over $70 million. The U.S. urges the Taliban to ensure that food assistance reaches the neediest in Afghanistan, including women and children and those families who have been displaced by Taliban military operations. (end text) (Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State.)
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