[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 299 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 299
Supporting cooperation between the United States and the European Union
to thwart Hizballah's criminal and terrorist activities and to bring
Hizballah operatives to justice and urging the European Union to
designate Hizballah, in its entirety, as a terrorist organization.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 18, 2023
Ms. Rosen (for herself and Mrs. Blackburn) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Supporting cooperation between the United States and the European Union
to thwart Hizballah's criminal and terrorist activities and to bring
Hizballah operatives to justice and urging the European Union to
designate Hizballah, in its entirety, as a terrorist organization.
Whereas, in April 1983, a Hizballah terror attack against the United States
Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon killed 63 people;
Whereas, in October 1983, a Hizballah terror attack against the United States
Marine barracks, in Beirut, Lebanon, killed 241 American and 58 French
servicemembers supporting the multinational force peacekeeping mission;
Whereas, in July 2012, a Hizballah terror attack, carried out by an operative
with dual Lebanese-French citizenship, in Burgas, Bulgaria, killed 5
Israeli tourists and a Bulgarian;
Whereas, in March 2013, a Swedish-Lebanese Hizballah operative in Cyprus was
convicted of planning terror attacks against Israeli tourists;
Whereas, in June 2015, a Hizballah operative was sentenced to 6 years in prison
after stockpiling more than 8 tons of ammonium nitrate in Cyprus;
Whereas the Hizballah International Financing Prevention Act of 2015 (Public Law
114-102) and the Hizballah International Financing Prevention Amendments
Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-272) broadened financial sector sanctions
against Hizballah to compel foreign financial institutions to refrain
from supporting the terrorist group;
Whereas, in May 2018, the Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on
Abdullah Safi-Al-Din, Hizballah's representative to Iran, Mohammad
Ibrahim Bazzi, a Hizballah financier, and blacklisted 5 of Mr. Bazzi's
companies, including Belgian energy services conglomerate Global Trading
Group NV;
Whereas, in October 2018, French police raided the Islamic Zahra Centre on
suspicion of supporting Hizballah, froze the organization's funds, and
seized illegal weapons;
Whereas, in September 2020, 4 former leaders of the Zahra Centre France were
arrested on suspicion of continuing to run that organization and
supporting Hizballah;
Whereas, in July 2019, the Department of the Treasury designated 2 Hizballah-
backed members of Lebanese Parliament, Amin Sherri and Muhammad Hasan
Ra'd, and Hizballah security official Wafiq Safa, stating that Hizballah
uses its operatives in parliament to advance its violent activities;
Whereas, as of April 2021, officials of the Government of Germany estimated that
1,250 people with suspected links to Hizballah were living in Germany;
Whereas Europol's June 2022 European Union Terrorism Situation and Trend
Report--
(1) outlined that Hizballah ``has been using the EU as a base for
fundraising, recruitment, and criminal activities'';
(2) stated that Hizballah ``is suspected of managing the transportation
and distribution of illegal drugs into the EU, dealing with firearms
trafficking and running professional money laundering operations that
include the provision of money laundering services for other criminal
organizations'';
Whereas the United States-led Project Cassandra and Operation Cedar exposed the
criminal-business wing of Hizballah, the Business Affairs Component
(BAC) of Hizballah's External Security Organization;
Whereas, during Project Cassandra, Hizballah elements involved in drug
trafficking were arrested in the United States, in South America, and in
several European countries, including France, Belgium, Germany, and
Italy;
Whereas Hizballah's criminal activities in Europe is run by the BAC, which
reports to the External Security Organisation (also known as Unit 910)
or the Islamic Jihad Organization, and Abdallah Safieddine, Hizballah's
representative in Iran, is also involved in such criminal activities;
Whereas, in August 2020, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres
called on Lebanon to disarm Hizballah, citing the terror group's
persistent violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701
(2006);
Whereas Iran, which is the prime sponsor of Hizballah, harbors, finances,
trains, and arms the terrorist organization;
Whereas the Department of Treasury and the Department of State estimate that
Iran provides as much as $700,000,000 each year to Hizballah in the form
of financial and logistical support, weapons, and training;
Whereas Hizballah has an arsenal of approximately 150,000 missiles and rockets
with increased sophistication, many of which can reach deep into Israel;
Whereas Hizballah fighters have been supporting the Assad regime in Syria and
have often led operations in the conflict, which has left more than
500,000 dead;
Whereas Hizballah trains and provides weapons for militias in Iraq and Yemen,
which further destabilizes the region, and perpetuates violence in those
countries;
Whereas Hizballah activities continue to plague Lebanon with profound economic
and political instability and violence;
Whereas Hizballah's cross-border illicit arms and drugs trafficking undermines
the Lebanese Armed Forces, which is the legitimate security
establishment of the country, as outlined in United Nations Security
Council Resolution 1701 (2006);
Whereas, in October 2012, Hizballah Deputy Secretary General Naim Qassem stated
that ``[Hizballah does not] have a military wing and a political one . .
. Every element of Hizballah, from commanders to members as well as our
various capabilities, are in the service of the resistance'';
Whereas the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands,
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia, Serbia, and Kosovo, and other
countries have declared Hizballah, in its entirety, a terrorist
organization;
Whereas, in March 2016, the Gulf Cooperation Council formally branded Hizballah,
in its entirety, a terrorist organization, and the League of Arab States
adopted the same designation shortly thereafter;
Whereas the Department of the Treasury has diligently added persons and entities
to the list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists who have provided
material support to the Hizballah terrorist organization, thereby
hampering its financing and logistical capabilities;
Whereas the European Union, in July 2013, designated Hizballah's so-called
``military wing'' a terrorist organization;
Whereas, despite restrictions put on Hizballah since the designation of its
military wing as a terrorist organization, Hizballah continues to
conduct illicit narcotrafficking, money laundering, and weapons
trafficking throughout Europe and around the world; and
Whereas in July 2016, the United States Senate, through Senate Resolution 482,
called on the European Union to designate Hizballah in its entirety as a
terrorist organization: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) applauds and expresses support for the continued,
increased cooperation between the United States and the
European Union in thwarting Hizballah's criminal and terrorist
activities;
(2) supports transcontinental efforts within Europe to
share intelligence information among police and security
services to facilitate greater cooperation in tracking,
apprehending, and prosecuting Hizballah operatives;
(3) encourages the European Union to implement sanctions
against Hizballah-affiliated terrorists in tandem with the
United States;
(4) recommends greater civil society engagement in both the
United States and Europe to underscore Hizballah's malign
regional influence; and
(5) urges the European Union to designate Hizballah in its
entirety as a terrorist organization and to increase pressure
on the group, including by--
(A) facilitating better cross-border cooperation
between European Union members in combating Hizballah;
(B) issuing arrest warrants against members and
active supporters of Hizballah;
(C) freezing Hizballah's assets in Europe,
including assets controlled by organizations
masquerading as charities; and
(D) prohibiting fundraising activities in support
of Hizballah.
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