The Haqqani Madrassa Compound, Miram Shah, North Waziristan Agency (NWA), Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), Pakistan;
Miram Shah, NWA, FATA, Pakistan;
Danda Village, Miram Shah, NWA, FATA, Pakistan
Official reason
Yahya Haqqani (Yahya) is a senior Haqqani Network member who has been closely involved in the group’s military, financial, and propaganda activities. Yahya has acted as de facto head of the group when senior-most leaders Sirajuddin Haqqani (Yahya’s brother-in-law), Badruddin Haqqani (deceased), and Khalil Haqqani were absent. Yahya has also assumed duties as a HQN logistician and has facilitated funding for Haqqani commanders including a subordinate of now-deceased HQN commander Sangin Zadran and HQN chief of suicide operations, Abdul Rauf Zakir. Yahya has also acted as Sirajuddin Haqqani’s Arabic interpreter and messenger.
Yahya has conducted significant facilitation activities in support of HQN attacks and other activities. In early 2013 he facilitated funding for HQN fighters. Also in early 2013, Yahya coordinated the transfer of supplies from the United Arab Emirates to HQN senior leader Khalil Haqqani. In 2012, Yahya coordinated the distribution of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and communications equipment, and he also reviewed preparations for the August 7, 2012 HQN attack against a Coalition Forward Operating Base in Logar Province, Afghanistan, in which thirteen people, including eleven Afghan civilians, were wounded. Yahya likely had advance knowledge of the June 2011 attack on the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul, Afghanistan, directed by Sirajuddin Haqqani and Badruddin Haqqani. Eighteen people were killed and twelve were injured in the attack. As of 2011, Yahya delivered money from Sirajuddin Haqqani to HQN commanders for operations.
Yahya sometimes serves as a liaison between the HQN and AQ and he has maintained ties with AQ since at least mid-2009. In this role, Yahya has provided money to AQ members in the region for their personal expenses. As of mid-2009, he acted as the HQN’s primary liaison with foreign fighters, including Arabs, Uzbeks, and Chechens.
Yahya has also conducted and managed HQN and Taliban media and propaganda activities. As of early 2012, Yahya usually met with Sirajuddin Haqqani to obtain final approval of the Taliban propaganda videos Yahya made. Yahya has worked on HQN media activities since at least 2009 when he edited videos from fighters in Afghanistan working out of a media studio in a HQN madrassa. As of late 2011, Yahya obtained money for HQN media expenses from Sirajuddin Haqqani or one of Sirajuddin Haqqani’s surrogates.
As of early 2012, Yahya travelled about twice a month, sometimes with Saidullah Jan, to meet with now-deceased HQN financial emissary Nasiruddin Haqqani in Pakistan.
On June 6, 2003, OFAC issued the Global Terrorism Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 594 (68 FR 34196, June 6, 2003 (“the Regulations”), to implement Executive Order (E.O.) 13224 of September 23, 2001, “Blocking Property and Prohibiting Transactions With Persons Who Commit, Threaten To Commit, or Support Terrorism” (66 FR 49079, September 25, 2001). OFAC has amended the Regulations on several occasions.
On September 9, 2019, the President, invoking the authority of, inter alia, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701–1706) (IEEPA) and the United Nations Participation Act (22 U.S.C. 287c) (UNPA), issued E.O. 13886, “Modernizing Sanctions To Combat Terrorism” (84 FR 48041, September 12, 2019), effective September 10, 2019. In E.O. 13886, the President, finding it necessary to consolidate and enhance sanctions to combat acts of terrorism and threats of terrorism by foreign terrorists, terminated the national emergency declared in E.O. 12947 of January 23, 1995, “Prohibiting Transactions With Terrorists Who Threaten To Disrupt the Middle East Peace Process” (60 FR 5079, January 25, 1995), and revoked E.O. 12947, as amended by E.O. 13099 of August 20, 1998, “Prohibiting Transactions With Terrorists Who Threaten To Disrupt the Middle East Peace Process” (63 FR 45167, August 25, 1998). In addition, the President amended E.O. 13224, in order to build upon initial steps taken in E.O. 12947, to further strengthen and consolidate sanctions to combat the continuing threat posed by international terrorism, and in order to take additional steps to deal with the national emergency declared in E.O. 13224, with respect to the continuing and immediate threat of grave acts of terrorism and threats of terrorism committed by foreign terrorists, which include acts of terrorism that threaten the Middle East peace process.
Section 1 of E.O. 13886 replaces in its entirety section 1 of E.O. 13224, which had been amended by a number of prior Executive orders (E.O. 13224, as amended by all such authorities, is referred to herein as “amended E.O. 13224”), but does not amend the Annex to E.O. 13224, which was previously amended by E.O. 13268 of July 2, 2002, “Termination of Emergency With Respect to the Taliban and Amendment of Executive Order 13224 of September 23, 2001” (67 FR 44751, July 3, 2002) (“amended Annex to E.O. 13224”).
