WASHINGTON — Now that the Taliban has complete control of Afghanistan, Indiana Congressman Jim Banks is worried that the White House may try to legitimize the militant group as leaders of the country.
Banks introduced two amendments to the 2022 fiscal budget on Thursday before the House Armed Services Committee seeking to designate the Taliban in Afghanistan as a terrorist organization and to assess the wealth of the group in terms of their access to rare earth minerals and U.S. military equipment.
“The Taliban in Pakistan is (a terrorist organization). The Taliban everywhere else is, but we’ve always left that off the table as a bargaining chip,” Banks told Fox News. “It’s time to name them as an international terrorist organization.”
Banks said he put the amendment forward to block the Biden Administration, as well as any future administration or private citizen, from financially aiding the Taliban in Afghanistan.
The second of the two amendments is to delve into the Taliban’s assets, especially when it comes to its access to minerals. Bank said that Afghanistan is rich in copper and that China has previously tried to land contracts with the country to mine copper.
Banks also wants to know exactly how much U.S. military equipment was left behind. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has said they don’t know exactly how much equipment was left behind.
But, Bank said that his introduction of the amendments may have been for not.
“My amendment(s) has been blocked by Democrats,” he said. “The Democrats won’t allow it to move forward because I believe it’s because they have future plans to legitimize the Taliban government.”
