[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 195 (Saturday, December 17, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8781-S8782]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HAQQANI NETWORK TERRORIST DESIGNATION ACT OF 2011
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee
on Foreign Relations be discharged from further consideration of S.
1959 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The clerk will report the bill by title.
The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (S. 1959) to require a report on the designation of
the Haqqani Network as a foreign terrorist organization and
for other purposes.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I express my appreciation to everyone for
removing their holds and allowing this matter to go forward. It is a
very important statement that we make as Americans regarding our
foreign policy.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Burr amendment at the
desk be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be read a third time and
passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and any
statements relating to the measure be printed in the Record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The amendment (No. 1467) was agreed to, as follows:
(Purpose: To provide that the Act may not be construed to infringe upon
the sovereignty of Pakistan to combat militant or terrorist groups
operating inside the boundaries of Pakistan)
At the end, add the following:
(c) Construction.--Nothing in this Act may be construed to
infringe upon the sovereignty of Pakistan to combat militant
or terrorist groups operating inside the boundaries of
Pakistan.
The bill (S. 1959), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a
third reading, was read the third time, and passed, as follows:
S. 1959
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Haqqani Network Terrorist
Designation Act of 2011''.
SEC. 2. REPORT ON DESIGNATION OF THE HAQQANI NETWORK AS A
FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION.
(a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
(1) A report of the Congressional Research Service on
relations between the United States and Pakistan states that
``[t]he terrorist network led by Jalaluddin Haqqani and his
son Sirajuddin, based in the FATA, is commonly identified as
the most dangerous of Afghan insurgent groups battling U.S.-
led forces in eastern Afghanistan''.
(2) The report further states that, in mid-2011, the
Haqqanis undertook several high-visibility attacks in
Afghanistan. First, a late June assault on the
Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul by 8 Haqqani gunmen and
suicide bombers left 18 people dead. Then, on September 10, a
truck bomb attack on a United States military base by Haqqani
fighters in the Wardak province injured 77 United States
troops and killed 5 Afghans. A September 13 attack on the
United States Embassy compound in Kabul involved an assault
that sparked a 20-hour-long gun battle and left 16 Afghans
dead, 5 police officers and at least 6 children among them.
(3) The report further states that ``U.S. and Afghan
officials concluded the Embassy attackers were members of the
Haqqani network''.
(4) In September 22, 2011, testimony before the Committee
on Armed Services of the Senate, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs
of Staff Admiral Mullen stated that ``[t]he Haqqani network,
for one, acts as a veritable arm of Pakistan's Inter-Services
Intelligence agency. With ISI support, Haqqani operatives
plan and conducted that [September 13] truck bomb attack, as
well as the assault on our embassy. We also have credible
evidence they were behind the June 28th attack on the
Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul and a host of other smaller
but effective operations''.
(5) In October 27, 2011, testimony before the Committee on
Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives, Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton stated that ``we are taking action to
target the Haqqani leadership on both sides of the border.
We're increasing international efforts to squeeze them
operationally and financially. We are already working with
the Pakistanis to target those who are behind a lot of the
attacks against Afghans and Americans. And I made it very
clear to the Pakistanis that the attack on our embassy was an
outrage and the attack on our forward operating base that
injured 77 of our soldiers was a similar outrage.''.
(6) At the same hearing, Secretary of State Clinton further
stated that ``I think everyone agrees that the Haqqani
Network has safe havens inside Pakistan; that those safe
havens give them a place to plan and direct operations that
kill Afghans and Americans.''.
(7) On November 1, 2011, the United States Government added
Haji Mali Kahn to a list of specially designated global
terrorists under Executive Order 13224. The Department of
State described Khan as ``a Haqqani Network commander'' who
has ``overseen hundreds of fighters, and has instructed his
subordinates to conduct terrorist acts.'' The designation
continued, ``Mali Khan has provided support and logistics to
the Haqqani Network, and has been involved in the planning
and execution of attacks in Afghanistan against civilians,
coalition forces, and Afghan police''. According to Jason
Blazakis, the chief of the Terrorist Designations Unit of the
Department of State, Khan also has links to al-Qaeda.
(8) Five other top Haqqani Network leaders have been placed
on the list of specially designated global terrorists under
Executive Order 13224 since 2008, and three of them have been
so placed in the last year. Sirajuddin Haqqani, the overall
leader of the Haqqani Network as well as the leader of the
Taliban's Mira shah Regional Military Shura, was designated
by the Secretary of State as a terrorist in March 2008, and
in March 2009, the Secretary of State put out a bounty of
$5,000,000 for information leading to his capture. The other
four individuals so designated are Nasiruddin Haqqani, Khalil
al Rahman Haqqani, Badruddin Haqqani, and Mullah Sangeen
Zadran.
(b) Report.--
(1) Report required.--Not later than 30 days after the date
of the enactment of this
[[Page S8782]]
Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate
committees of Congress--
(A) a detailed report on whether the Haqqani Network meets
the criteria for designation as a foreign terrorist
organization as set forth in section 219 of the Immigration
and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1189); and
(B) if the Secretary determines that the Haqqani Network
does not meet the criteria set forth under such section 219,
a detailed justification as to which criteria have not been
met.
(2) Form.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall be
submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified
annex.
(3) Appropriate committees of congress defined.--In this
subsection, the term ``appropriate committees of Congress''
means--
(A) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on
Foreign Relations, and the Select Committee on Intelligence
of the Senate; and
(B) the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on
Foreign Affairs, and the Permanent Select Committee on
Intelligence of the House of Representatives.
(c) Construction.--Nothing in this Act may be construed to
infringe upon the sovereignty of Pakistan to combat militant
or terrorist groups operating inside the boundaries of
Pakistan.
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