text: "WASHINGTON (AP) - The Obama administration targeted key leaders of Afghanistan's Taliban with new financialsanctions Thursday in a move that could complicate relations with Pakistan and Afghan efforts to reconcile withinsurgents.The action by the Treasury Department will freeze the militants' assets ban travel and trigger an arms embargo. Itfollows similar action by the United Nations earlier this week and comes after calls from Gen. David Petraeus the topmilitary commander in Afghanistan and Sen. Carl Levin D-Mich. chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee forsanctions against Afghan insurgent commanders operating in Pakistan.Taken together the U.S. and U.N. sanctions prohibit any financial transactions of the terror leaders in U.N. membercountries putting additional pressure on Pakistan to take broader actions against the Taliban militants.Three financial kingpins were targeted with sanctions including a key member of the Haqqani network whichdirectsoperations against U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan from safe havens in Pakistan. Among those sanctionedThursday was Nasiruddin Haqqani an emissary for the Haqqani Network and brother of Sirajuddin Haqqani who leadsthe group with his father Jalaluddin.Others sanctioned included Gul Agha Ishakzai the head of the Taliban's financial commission and Amir Abdullah theformer treasurer to captured Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Barader. The sanctions placed on the three leaders asterrorists would deprive them of the assets they need to fund their terror operations said Adam J. Szubin director ofTreasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control. ""We will continue to aggressively work to expose and dismantle the financialnetworks of terrorist groups in support of the president's goal of a stable Afghanistan"" he said.According to officials lshakzai is the head of the Taliban's financial commission has collected money for suicide attacksin Kandahar Afghanistan and has been involved in the disbursement of funds for Taliban fighters. He has served as amain financial officer and close adviser to Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar. Abdullah has reportedly traveled toKuwait Saudi Arabia Libya and the United Arab Emirates to raise money for the Taliban and facilitate meetings andcommunications with key leaders. Nasiruddin Haqqani has collected funds for the Haqqani group including from al-Qaida. Last week Gen. David Petraeus the top military commander in Afghanistan urged officials to add commandersfrom the Haqqani network to the terrorist list. At the time administration officials said a review was under way largelyaccelerated after the May 1 failed Times Square bombing. The man who has pleaded guilty in the New York incidentPakistani-born American Faisal Shahzad said he trained with the Pakistani Taliban to build bombs then returned to theU.S. to launch an attack that would avenge attacks on Muslims by U.S. forces overseas."