U.S. Lifts Bounties on Key Taliban Leaders: Implications for Afghanistan

Significant Shift in U.S. Policy

The U.S. has made a controversial decision to lift bounties on three senior Taliban figures. This includes Sirajuddin Haqqani, the interior minister, who leads a network known for violent attacks against Afghanistan’s former government. Officials in Kabul confirmed this news on Sunday, marking a significant shift in U.S. policy.

Sirajuddin Haqqani has been implicated in a deadly attack on the Serena Hotel in Kabul back in January 2008. This incident resulted in the deaths of six individuals, including American citizen Thor David Hesla. Following this latest development, interior ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani stated that the U.S. has revoked bounties on Haqqani and two other senior Taliban figures, Abdul Aziz Haqqani and Yahya Haqqani.