Sanctions

Washington has put four Afghans and a Pakistani on their terrorist list for their alleged support of al Qaeda, the Taliban or the Haqqani network. Americans will no longer be allowed to do business with the men whose assets in the US - worth thousands of dollars - have been frozen.

The Treasury Department described the men as "financiers and facilitators" of terrorism in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence David Cohen, said the aim of the measures was to "choke off streams of financial and other support to terrorists".

On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton disclosed that Washington was close to a decision on whether it would declare the Haqqani group a terrorist organization.

On Thursday Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani strongly rebuffed any suggestion his government had worked with the Haqqani network as alleged by Washington in the past two weeks. At a gathering of politicians and military commanders in Islamabad he said that, "American statements shocked us, and negate our sacrifices and successes in the ongoing war against terror."

Author: Marina Joarder (Reuters, AP)
Editor: Grahame Lucas