GOP lawmakers urge Blinken to designate Taliban a terrorist organization

• Bush's order is "narrowly focused on financial transactions, lacking the teeth" of an FTO listing, per AFP.
• Sirajuddin Haqqani, who is wanted by the FBI for terrorism offenses and is the leader of the Haqqani network — designated an FTO by the U.S. — is the all-male interim Afghan government's acting interior minister.

What they're saying: Graham said in a statement that designating the Taliban as an FTO would "make it harder for countries to provide them aid and recognition."

• "We would be sending a strong signal that America does not do business with terrorist groups and their sympathizers," he said.
• Waltz added in the joint statement that the Taliban "continue to engage in terrorist activity, harbor other terrorist groups, commit human rights atrocities, deny women their basic civil liberties, and overthrew a democratically elected government."

The other side: A State Department spokesperson said in an emailed statement it wouldn't comment on the pending legislation, but noted that the U.S. had since amended Bush's order "by adding the Taliban to the annex of certain designated individuals and entities."

Editor's note: The secretary of State's first name was corrected to Antony Blinken.