[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 123 (Tuesday, July 18, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2991-S2992]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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SENATE RESOLUTION 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

  Ms. ROSEN (for herself and Mrs. Blackburn) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 299

       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.

[[Page S2992]]

  

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