U.S. GOVERNMENT CONTINUES DEFENSE TRADE EMBARGO AGAINST TALIBAN

U.S. GOVERNMENT CONTINUES DEFENSE TRADE EMBARGO AGAINST TALIBAN    The U.S. State Department said it would continue its policy to deny all licenses and other approvals to export defense materials and related services to Taliban-controlled territories of Afghanistan.
   The export denial policy is in line with the Arms Export Control Act and the United Nations Participation Act to deny exports of defense goods and services to the Taliban. The ban was further strengthened when the UN Security Council passed a resolution on Dec. 19, which mandates an arms embargo to Taliban-controlled territories of Afghanistan.
   The UN arms embargo has limited exceptions, however, for “non-lethal military equipment intended solely for humanitarian or protective use if approved in advance by an established Committee of the Security Council.”