The Taliban seems to be in the news at all times. If it is not in some primitive policies the group is trying to enforce in Afghanistan, the international community is trying to find ways to force the regime in Kabul to mend its ways. The latest has to do with a United Nations travel ban exemption for certain individuals that ended on Friday without agreement at the Security Council on whether or not to continue with a partial relaxation by way of an extension. A 2011 Security Council Resolution slapped sanctions on 135 Taliban officials including freezing of assets and travel restrictions. But 13 were granted an exemption for travel to meet foreign officials.
As expected Russia and China want to permit the 13 Taliban officials for travel; the United States and some other Western countries want to reduce the waivers to about six persons without geographic limits. Seven other Taliban officials would be banned from travel. Apparently at one point the United States was willing to allow the 13 Taliban personnel to travel but restricted it to only Qatar, a proposition that was frowned upon by Beijing and Moscow. If no nation objects to this 6-7 proposition by Monday afternoon, it will come into effect for three months.
