19 February 2003
U.S. Designates Gulbuddin Hekmatyar a Terrorist, February 19, 2003
(Hekmatyar supported terrorist acts by Bin Laden, Taliban)
The U.S. government has designated Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the head of the Hezeb-e Islami Afghanistan party, a terrorist, according to a statement from State Department spokesman Richard Boucher.
The statement said Hekmatyar supported terrorist acts carried out by al-Qaida and the Taliban. The United States will seek to have Hekmatyar's name included in the U.N. sanctions list of people and entities associated with Usama bin Laden, al-Qaida and the Taliban, the statement said.
Following is the text of the Boucher statement:
(begin text)
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
February 19, 2003
STATEMENT BY RICHARD BOUCHER, SPOKESMAN
Designation of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar as a Terrorist
The U.S. Government has information indicating that Gulbuddin Hekmatyar has participated in and supported terrorist acts committed by al-Qa'ida and the Taliban. Because of his terrorist activity, the United States is designating Hekmatyar as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under the authority of Executive Order 13224. At the same time, the United States will request that the UN 1267 Sanctions Committee include Hekmatyar on its consolidated list of entities and individuals associated with Usama bin Laden, al-Qa'ida, and the Taliban, which would obligate all Member States to impose sanctions, including assets freezes, under UN Security Council Resolutions 1267, 1390, and 1455.
(end text)
[The above can currently be found here, at the US Embassy in Italy's website. It has been
disappeared elsewhere, hence the reposting.]
