US slaps sanctions on Afghan Taliban leaders
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The United States is slapping sanctions on key leaders of Afghanistan's Taliban, a week after a top military commander urged the move.
The Treasury Department sanctioned three insurgent leaders, including a financial kingpin of the al-Qaeda-linked Haqqani network. The group directs operations against US and coalition forces in Afghanistan from sanctuaries in Pakistan. The move will freeze their assets, ban travel and trigger an arms embargo. It comes amid efforts by the Afghan government to reconcile with insurgents in a bid to end the eight-year war. (AP)
