Letter to Hon. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Representative of the United States to the United Nations - Rep. Tracey Mann Sends Letter to U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield to Maintain Sanctions on Taliban

Letter

Dear Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield:

We are writing to express our deep concern about reports that the Biden administration is
considering supporting the lifting of United Nations sanctions on the Taliban. Just weeks prior to
the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, the United States completed our ill-advised withdrawal
and the Taliban violently retook control of Afghanistan. The Taliban's continued relationship
with al Qaeda will certainly lead to a resurgent terror threat that will not only have implications
for our national security, but the security of our global partners. Further, Americans and our
allies left behind are in grave danger, a massive refugee crisis only continues to grow, and the
fate of Afghan women and other vulnerable populations looks increasingly grim, despite pledges
and promises by the Biden Administration. The urgency of the situation cannot be overstated.

Questionable and consequential decisions by the White House, State Department, and others
have put us in the horrific position we are in now -- where the Taliban holds the power and our
citizens are at their mercy. The Biden Administration has maintained that the Taliban desires
international legitimacy and financing. That legitimacy and funding must be denied while
American citizens, Afghan partners, and others remain behind enemy lines, while the Taliban
continues to maintain ties to al Qaeda and harbors terrorists that seek to harm Americans and our
allies, and while the Taliban refuses to respect and protect the rights of all Afghan citizens. The
travel ban, asset freezes, and arms embargos imposed by these sanctions are critical to that effort.

With the Taliban's capture of Kabul, we believe it necessary for the United States to support the
full implementation of all United Nations sanctions on the Taliban, including rescinding
previously issued waivers to the travel ban that are providing them the international legitimacy
and access they want. We must maintain what little leverage this administration has left in place
to secure the continued evacuation of Americans and our partners, and to ensure we are doing all
we can to prevent the reconstitution of terrorist threats to our homeland.

Sincerely,

Members of Congress