Taliban head Mullah Mohammed Omar has dismissed U.S.-imposed financial and commercial sanctions on Afghanistan.
On Tuesday, Clinton instituted the trade and economic sanctions because of the Taliban’s support of international terrorist Osama bin Laden, who was charged with the bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.
Omar told reporters that “We don’t care about any American sanctions.” America has certain designs in Afghanistan on which there is a difference between American and the Taliban, because of which America has imposed sanctions.”
He commented that he was unaware of bin Laden’s whereabouts and has encouraged him to neither remain nor leave Afghanistan.
Opposition to the regime, however, embraced Clinton’s sanctions. In a statement they said, “The Islamic State of Afghanistan hopes that the sanctions would generate far reaching effects, leading to curtailing and ultimately halting the Taliban’s steady financial resources.” In addition, they accused the Pakistan military of “misusing international financial grants” used “for supplying arms, ammunition, military equipment, training or any other military support to the Taliban”.