[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1708 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1708

   Recognizing the destructive role of the Government of Eritrea and 
  calling on the Secretary of State to designate Eritrea as a country 
         that has provided support for international terrorism.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 29, 2010

 Mr. Royce (for himself and Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) submitted the following 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Recognizing the destructive role of the Government of Eritrea and 
  calling on the Secretary of State to designate Eritrea as a country 
         that has provided support for international terrorism.

Whereas the State of Eritrea is supporting al Qaeda linked militants in the Horn 
        of Africa, including al Shabaab, which has been designated a foreign 
        terrorist organization under section 219 of the Immigration and 
        Nationality Act and as a specially designated global terrorist under 
        section 1(b) of Executive Order 13224, and is of increasing concern to 
        United States counterterrorism officials;
Whereas the United Nations Sanctions Monitoring Group on Somalia, established by 
        a committee of the United Nations Security Council pursuant to 
        Resolutions 751 (1992) and 1519 (2003), reported in July 2007 ``that 
        huge quantities of arms have been provided to the Shabaab by and through 
        Eritrea'', and ``the weapons in caches and otherwise in possession of 
        the Shabaab include an unknown number of surface-to-air missiles, 
        suicide belts, and explosives with timers and detonators'';
Whereas in April 2008, the United Nations Sanctions Monitoring Group on Somalia 
        reported, ``the Government of Eritrea continues to provide support to 
        groups that oppose the Transitional Federal Government in the form of 
        arms and military training to fighters of the Shabaab'', and that on or 
        about January 8, 2008, an arms shipment from Eritrea arrived in 
        Mogadishu containing dismantled RPG-7s, hand grenades, anti-tank mines, 
        detonators, pistols, mortar shells, AK-47 assault rifles, PKM machine 
        guns, RPG-2s, small mortars, FAL assault rifles, rifle-fired grenades 
        for the FAL, M-16s, and explosives;
Whereas the April 2008 report of the United Nations Sanctions Monitoring Group 
        on Somalia also found that, ``towards the end of 2007, about 120 
        fighters of the Shabaab travelled to Eritrea for the purpose of 
        attending military training at a military base located near the 
        Ethiopian border.'';
Whereas in its December 2008 report, the United Nations Sanctions Monitoring 
        Group on Somalia identified Eritrea as a ``principal violator'' of the 
        arms embargo on Somalia and asserted that ``Eritrean arms embargo 
        violations take place with the knowledge and authorization of senior 
        officials within the Eritrean Government and the ruling People's Front 
        for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ).'';
Whereas, on May 20, 2009, Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Affairs 
        Johnnie Carson testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee 
        that, ``We have clear evidence that Eritrea is supporting these 
        extremist elements [inside Somalia], including credible reports that the 
        Government of Eritrea continues to supply weapons and munitions to 
        extremists and terrorist elements.'';
Whereas, on December 23, 2009, largely at the behest of African governments, the 
        United Nations Security Council in Resolution 1907 (2009) demanded that 
        all Member States, in particular Eritrea, cease to arm, train, and equip 
        armed groups, including al Shabaab, that aim to destabilize the region 
        and subsequently imposed a ban on the sale or supply of weapons, 
        training, and related materiel to or from Eritrea;
Whereas in its March 2010 report, the United Nations Sanctions Monitoring Group 
        on Somalia noted that ``the Government of Eritrea has provided 
        significant and sustained political, financial and material support, 
        including arms, ammunition and training to armed opposition groups in 
        Somalia since at least 2007.'';
Whereas the March 2010 report by the United Nations Sanctions Monitoring Group 
        on Somalia further noted that the Government of Eritrea has provided 
        Eritrean passports to senior al Shabaab leaders, including Mukhtar 
        Robow, who the United States Department of the Treasury has identified 
        as al Shabaab's spokesman, spiritual leader, and military commander in 
        southern Somalia and is subject to United States sanctions;
Whereas the United Nations Sanctions Monitoring Group on Somalia also accuses 
        Eritrea of providing ``direct and overt support'' for the return to 
        Somalia of Hassan Dahir Aweys, who leads the radical Islamist Hizbul 
        Islam insurgent group in Somalia and is subject to United States 
        sanctions pursuant to Executive Order 13224 and United Nations sanctions 
        pursuant to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1267;
Whereas, on March 24, 2010, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs 
        Johnnie Carson testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, 
        Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health, ``There is no doubt that al 
        Shabaab is a terrorist organization. There is no doubt that Eritrea has 
        supported the elements of al Shabaab'';
Whereas, on April 10, 2010, Yemane Gebreab, Head of Political Affairs and 
        Presidential Adviser in the Government of Eritrea, was included on a 
        list of persons contributing to the conflict in Somalia and subject to 
        United States sanctions pursuant to Executive Order 13536;
Whereas al Shabaab has claimed responsibility for the July 11, 2010, attacks in 
        Kampala, Uganda, which killed more than 70 people, including a United 
        States citizen, who had gathered to watch the World Cup finals, 
        demonstrating the growing sophistication and reach of al Shabbab's 
        operations;
Whereas United States law enforcement and counter terrorism officials have been 
        increasingly concerned by reports of Somali-American youths disappearing 
        from United States locales to train with al Shabaab in Somalia, and the 
        head of Great Britain's domestic intelligence service warned recently 
        that it is ``only a matter of time before we see terrorism on our 
        streets inspired by those who are today fighting alongside al-Shabaab''; 
        and
Whereas section 6(j) of the Export Administration Act of 1979, section 40 of the 
        Arms Export Control Act, and section 620A of the Foreign Assistance Act 
        of 1961 stipulate that a designated state sponsor of terrorism is one 
        ``that repeatedly provides support to acts of international terrorism'': 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives 
that--
            (1) given the growing security threat from al Shabaab, a 
        United States-designated foreign terrorist organization, every 
        effort should be made to tackle its outside sources of support;
            (2) Eritrea's ongoing and well-documented support for armed 
        insurgents in Somalia, including al Shabaab, poses a 
        significant threat to the national security interests of the 
        United States and East African nations; and
            (3) the Secretary of State should designate the State of 
        Eritrea as a state sponsor of terrorism pursuant to section 
        6(j) of the Export Administration Act of 1979, section 40 of 
        the Arms Export Control Act, and section 620A of the Foreign 
        Assistance Act of 1961.
                                 <all>