RASC News Agency: Former CIA officer Sara Adams has strongly condemned the U.S. government’s recent decision to remove key Haqqani Network leaders from its Most Wanted list, denouncing the move as a “reward for terrorism.” On Saturday evening, March 22, Adams took to the social media platform X to express her dismay, asserting that the decision followed high-level meetings between Haqqani Network operatives and the new U.S. administration a move she characterized as an effective “reward” for the group’s long-standing terror campaign.
She specifically pointed to the removal of Sirajuddin Haqqani, who had a $10 million bounty on his head, and Abdul Aziz Haqqani, who was subject to a $5 million reward, from the U.S. State Department’s “Rewards for Justice” program. Adams emphasized that Sirajuddin Haqqani has orchestrated over a thousand suicide attacks targeting U.S. and NATO forces, while Abdul Aziz Haqqani has played a critical role in coordinating operations with al-Qaeda. She also cited two major terror incidents the 2012 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi and the 2021 Kabul airport bombing, which claimed the lives of 13 U.S. service members.
Issuing a stark warning, Adams stressed that both individuals remain deeply involved in al-Qaeda’s ongoing plots against the United States. She further rebuked the new U.S. administration’s counterterrorism strategy, arguing that instead of adopting a more hardline approach, it appears to be repeating past mistakes. Sirajuddin Haqqani, who currently serves as the Taliban’s Minister of Interior, and the broader Haqqani Network have long been recognized for their deep-rooted ties to al-Qaeda and their extensive involvement in global terrorist operations.
