[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3431 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3431

 To impose sanctions with respect to certain militias in Iraq that are 
                   backed by the Government of Iran.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 12, 2018

   Mr. Perdue (for himself, Mr. Cruz, and Mr. Rubio) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                  Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To impose sanctions with respect to certain militias in Iraq that are 
                   backed by the Government of Iran.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Iranian Proxies Terrorist Sanctions 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) As-Saib Ahl al-Haq (referred to in this section as 
        ``AAH'') is an Iraqi paramilitary group that was founded in 
        2006.
            (2) Harakat Hizballah al-Nujaba (referred to in this 
        section as ``Nujaba'') is an affiliated faction of AAH and the 
        United States-designated foreign terrorist organization Kata'ib 
        Hizballah, which was formed in 2013.
            (3) AAH and Nujaba receive training, funding, and arms from 
        the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force and 
        are mentored by Lebanese Hizballah.
            (4) AAH leader, Qais Khazali, has pledged allegiance to 
        Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
            (5) AAH conducted numerous attacks against the United 
        States and coalition forces in Iraq between its inception in 
        2006 and the United States withdrawal from Iraq in December 
        2011, including an attack on January 20, 2007 on the Karbala 
        Provincial Headquarters, which resulted in the killing of 
        Captain Brian S. Freeman, First Lieutenant Jacob N. Fritz, 
        Specialist Jonathan B. Chism, Private First Class Shawn P. 
        Falter, and Private First Class Jonathon M. Millican.
            (6) AAH and Nujaba deploy forces to Syria to fight on 
        behalf of the Bashar al-Assad regime, including participating 
        in the 2016 siege of Aleppo where the United Nations High 
        Commissioner for Human Rights alleges pro-government Iraqi 
        militia groups executed dozens of civilians.
            (7) In 2015, Human Rights Watch alleged AAH participated in 
        forced evictions, kidnappings, and extrajudicial killings of 
        Sunni and Kurdish civilians in areas liberated from the Islamic 
        State.
            (8) Nujaba is led by Akram al-Kabi, who--
                    (A) was designated by the Department of the 
                Treasury under Executive Order 13438 for threatening 
                the peace and stability of Iraq;
                    (B) according to the United States Government, 
                participated in multiple mortar and rocket attacks on 
                the International Zone, or Green Zone, in Baghdad in 
                early 2008; and
                    (C) along with other Nujaba commanders, has claimed 
                to follow orders from Iran's Supreme Leader Ali 
                Khamenei and declared support for Lebanese Hizballah in 
                March 2016.
            (9) In 2017, a Nujaba spokesman declared that Nujaba had 
        formed a unit tasked to ``liberate'' the Golan Heights from 
        Israeli control. Reports indicate that Nujaba is playing a key 
        role in securing a land route between Iran and Lebanon to 
        provide military aid to Lebanese Hezbollah.

SEC. 3. IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO CERTAIN MILITIAS IN 
              IRAQ THAT ARE BACKED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF IRAN.

    (a) Imposition of Sanctions.--
            (1) In general.--Beginning on the date that is 90 days 
        after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President 
        shall block and prohibit, pursuant to the International 
        Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), all 
        transactions in all property and interests in property of As-
        Saib Ahl al-Haq, Harakat Hizballah al-Nujaba, and any foreign 
        person that the President determines is an official, agent, or 
        affiliate of, or owned or controlled by, As-Saib Ahl al-Haq or 
        Harakat Hizballah al-Nujaba, if such property and interests in 
        property are in the United States, come within the United 
        States, or are or come within the possession or control of a 
        United States person.
            (2) Exception.--The requirement to impose sanctions under 
        paragraph (1) shall not include the requirement or the 
        authority to impose sanctions on the importation of goods (as 
        defined in section 16 of the Export Administration Act of 1979 
        (50 U.S.C. 4618) (as continued in effect pursuant to the 
        International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et 
        seq.))).
            (3) United states person defined.--In this subsection, the 
        term ``United States person'' means--
                    (A) a United States citizen or an alien lawfully 
                admitted for permanent residence to the United States; 
                or
                    (B) an entity organized under the laws of the 
                United States or of any jurisdiction within the United 
                States, including a foreign branch of such an entity.
    (b) Report Required.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the 
        President shall submit a report that includes a detailed list 
        of entities in which there is a reasonable basis to determine 
        that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has an ownership 
        interest of not less than 33 percent to--
                    (A) the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban 
                Affairs of the Senate;
                    (B) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
                Senate;
                    (C) the Committee on Financial Services of the 
                House of Representatives; and
                    (D) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House 
                of Representatives.
            (2) Form.--The report required under paragraph (1) shall be 
        submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified 
        annex.
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