By William Tucker
Several U.S. Senators wrote Secretary of State Hillary Clinton requesting that the Pakistani Taliban be added to the list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations. Earlier I noted the difficulty in doing so; however this does not mean I am opposed to the action. It is certainly something that could be done, but this would be an empty gesture at best. The U.S. is already targeting the multiple elements of the Pakistani Taliban and has used various avenues to attack funding of terrorist groups including those aligned with the Taliban. Part of the problem with designating the TTP a FTO is the fractious nature of the group making identification of individuals affiliated with the group nearly impossible. Taking the step to designate the TTP may have some benefit, but other steps are needed including disrupting support from foreign intelligence services.
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