Vital Perspective: Letter From 209 Members of Congress Urge EU to Add Hezbollah to Terror List

In a bipartisan letter to EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, 209 members — including members of the House leadership — today called on the EU to add Hezbollah to its terrorist list. Solana said on July 19 that the EU lacked "sufficient data" to add Hezbollah to its terrorist list — a ridiculous statement given Hezbollah's well documented history of terrorism and the adoption of a resolution last year by the EU Parliament affirming Hezbollah's involvement in terrorist activities.

Prior to 9/11, Hezbollah was the number one terrorist killer of Americans. They wrote the book on bombings, hijackings and kidnappings, and they post a direct threat to the U.S. and our allies. If the EU is serious about supporting things like UNSCR 1559, we feel they must also designate them as a terrorist organization. The EU designation would deal a devastating blow to Hezbollah's fundraising activities in Europe — requiring EU member states to cut off the terrorist group's funding sources and to seize Hezbollah assets.

For the record, the following is ripped straight from Hezbollah's terror record:

April 18, 1983, U.S. Embassy bombing, Lebanon. A van with explosives drove into the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, killing 63 people, including 16 Americans among them, the Middle East Chiefs of the CIA.
October 23, 1983, U.S. Marine and French Barracks bombing, Lebanon. A truck filled with high explosives penetrated through the barricades at the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, killing 241 American Military personnel. Simultaneously, a truck containing explosives drove into the French Paratroopers Barracks across town, killing 58 French military personnel.
March 16, 1984 Kidnap of CIA Station Chief, Lebanon. Hezbollah security chief Imad Mugniyeh kidnapped and tortured to death Beirut CIA Station Chief William Buckley.
September 20, 1984 Bombing of US Embassy Annex, Lebanon. 14 people were killed, including 2 Americans when the U.S. Embassy Annex in Lebanon was bombed. 17 men, including the brother-in-law and cousin of Hezbollah security chief were arrested and convicted.
Louis Freeh, as Director of the FBI stated, "Hezbollah has staged numerous anti-United States terrorist attacks, including the suicide truck bombing of the United States Embassy and the United States Marine Corps Barracks in Lebanon in 1983 and the United States Embassy Annex in Lebanon in 1984. Elements of Hezbollah were also responsible for the kidnapping and detention of United States hostages in Lebanon" (May 13, 1997).
June 14, 1985 TWA Hijacking, Greece. Hezbollah security chief Imad Mugniyeh and his crew hijacked a TWA airliner enroute from Athens, Greece to Rome, Italy. The terrorists took its 39 American passengers hostage for 17 days and brutally tortured and murdered an American.
March 17, 1992, Embassy Bombing, Argentina. A car bomb demolished the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires killing 29. Among the dead were four Israelis embassy personnel, four local embassy employees, as well as several residents of a nearby nursing home, and schoolchildren on a passing bus. Islamic Jihad, a cover name for Hezbollah, publicly claimed responsibility for the attack and provided a videotape of the embassy taken before the bombing to authenticate the claim. The State Department deemed Hezbollah responsible for the attack.
July 18, 1994 Jewish Community Center Bombing, Argentina. A suicide bomber drove a white van packed with 660 pounds of explosives into the AMIA Jewish cultural center, killing 86 people. Israel holds Hezbollah responsible for the attack and the U.S. considers Hezbollah as a prime suspect.
June 25, 1996 Khobar Towers Bombing, Saudi Arabia. The U.S. Military barracks at Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia were destroyed when a truck bomb exploded outside of them. 19 U.S. airmen were killed and 370 people were wounded. According to Attorney General John Ashcroft, Lebanese Hezbollah was involved with the attack.

The text of the House letter to Solana is included below the fold, and worth the read.

Mr. Javier Solana
High Representative to the European Union
Council of the European Union
Rue de la Loi / Wetstraat, 175 B-1048 Brussels

Dear High Representative Solana:

We are writing to express our appreciation for your ongoing efforts to strengthen transatlantic relations, combat terrorism, prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and promote stability in the Middle East. In the past two years, United States-European Union (EU) cooperation in these areas has yielded positive results, including joint counterterrorism operations, Syria's withdrawal from Lebanon, and growing opposition to Iranian nuclear development at the United Nations (UN). As we continue to work together to fight global terror, it is critical to develop a unified U.S.-EU position relating to Hezbollah and thwarting the support it receives from Syria and Iran.

As you know, the United States, Canada, and Australia have all classified Hezbollah as a terrorist organization and the United Kingdom has placed the "Hezbollah External Security Organization" on its terrorist list. On March 10, 2005, the EU Parliament voted overwhelmingly to adopt a resolution that affirmed Hezbollah's involvement in terrorist activities and ordered the EU Council to "take all necessary steps to curtail" Hezbollah. Four days later, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution urging the European Union to add Hezbollah to its terrorist list. Given Hezbollah's recent acts of aggression against Israel and its undeniable role as a terrorist proxy for Syria and Iran, we strongly urge you to advocate for the addition of Hezbollah to the EU terrorist list.

Adding Hezbollah to the EU list of terrorist organizations would be a critical first step toward disarming this militia, as demanded in United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1559. Such action would oblige EU Member States to prohibit the channeling of money from European entities and individuals to Hezbollah, and to seize Hezbollah assets in the EU. There is no question this would have a significant impact on Hezbollah operations as alluded to by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasarallah in March of 2005. In an interview aired on al Manar he reportedly stated that designating Hezbollah as a terrorist organization in Europe will mean "the sources of [our] funding will dry up and the sources of moral, political and material support will be destroyed."

On July 12, Hezbollah attacked Israel in an unprovoked act of aggression across an internationally recognized border. Since then, Israel has faced a barrage of rocket and missile attacks aimed at innocent civilians perpetrated by Hezbollah that have forced Israel to exercise its right to self-defense. These attacks demonstrate that Hezbollah has acquired a sophisticated arsenal from Syria and Iran, including 10,000 Katyusha rockets, the Silkworm guided cruise missile (C-802), and ballistic missiles with advanced guidance systems (Zelzal-2) capable of targeting Tel Aviv. There is no question that the military capabilities of Hezbollah have alarmingly increased, and Israel should not be forced to face this threat alone.

As you know, Hezbollah's targets extend far beyond Israel and the Middle East. For over two decades, Hezbollah had led a global campaign of terror against American, Israeli, European, South American, Asian, and Arab citizens alike. Hezbollah also has a significant presence in Europe, where its operatives have planned and carried out kidnappings and attacks. EU member states, such as France and Germany, have previously taken legal action against Hezbollah, including the German deportation of Hezbollah agents and the French banning of Hezbollah television, al Manar.

On July 19th, we were dismayed to hear your assertion that the EU lacked "sufficient data" to add Hezbollah to its terrorist list. In past years, Hezbollah has increasingly supported groups already designated by the EU as terrorist organizations, including the al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). The EU has also included several officials affiliated with Hezbollah on its terrorist list, thereby precluding the transfer of funds to these individuals from EU Member States. It defies logic that the EU would take a series of actions against members of Hezbollah and, at the same time, omit the organization from the EU terrorist list.

High Representative Solana, we strongly support a renewed international effort to implement UNSCR 1559, as demonstrated by the recent statement issued by the G-8. We were also encouraged by remarks of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan characterizing Hezbollah's action as "unexpected, irresponsible, and inappropriate" at the recent emergency summit of the Arab League. There appears to be a growing rejection of Hezbollah's provocative tactics in the Arab world which - coupled with the strong leadership and unity of the U.S. and the EU - could mitigate this burgeoning threat.

The addition of Hezbollah to the EU terrorist list would send an unequivocal message that Europe will no longer tolerate its insidious agenda of terrorizing Israel and destabilizing the Middle East. In addition, it would serve as yet another positive example of transatlantic cooperation to combat the growing threat posed by Iran. The United States and Europe can best achieve shared foreign policy goals when we remain united in our policy and resolve. It is with the deepest respect that we urge you to consider our request.

Sincerely,

1) Robert Wexler

2) Elton Gallegly

3) Gary Ackerman

4) Steve Chabot

5) Nancy Pelosi

6) John Boehner

7) Steny Hoyer

8) Roy Blunt

9) Deborah Pryce

10) Tom Lantos

11) Henry Hyde

12) C.W. Bill Young

13) Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

14) Joe Crowley

15) Debbie Wasserman-Schultz

16) Dan Burton

17) Alcee Hastings

18) Carolyn McCarthy

19) Steve Rothman

20) Steve Israel

21) Diane Watson

22) Shelley Berkley

23) Jerry Nadler

24) Carolyn Maloney

25) Eliot Engel

26) Howard Berman

27) Earl Blumenauer

28) Anthony Weiner

29) Robert Andrews

30) Sherrod Brown

31) Brad Sherman

32) Rob Etheridge

33) Pete Sessions

34) Frank Pallone

35) Marty Meehan

36) Jim Davis

37) Mike Ferguson

38) Chris Shays

39) Mark Souder

40) Michael Fitzpatrick

41) Thaddeus McCotter

42) Sander Levin

43) Tim Holden

44) Mike Honda

45) Doris Matsui

46) Mario Diaz-Bilart

47) Henry Waxman

48) Tom Cole

49) Steve King

50) Mark Kennedy

51) Jo Ann Davis

52) Artur Davis

53) Peter King

54) Gene Green

55) Ed Royce

56) Rahm Emanuel

57) Michael McNulty

58) Barney Frank

59) Lee Terry

60) Jim Marshall

61) John Shimkus

62) Chris VanHollen

63) John Culberson

64) Jerry Weller

65) Zach Wamp

66) Jim Gerlach

67) Connie Mack

68) Stephanie Tubbs Jones

69) Nita Lowey

70) Corrine Brown

71) Mike Rogers

72) Ed Towns

73) Ander Crenshaw

74) Vito Fosella

75) Jo Bonner

76) William Jefferson

77) Ben Cardin

78) Brian Higgins

79) Dennis Cardoza

80) Russ Carnahan

81) Grace Napolitano

82) Patrick McHenry

83) Katherine Harris

84) Norm Dicks

85) Curt Weldon

86) Dan Boren

87) Jeff Flake

88) Ted Strickland

89) Linda Sánchez

90) Jesse Jackson Jr.

91) Steven Pearce

92) Jim Gibbons

93) Mike Doyle

94) John Dingell

95) Tom Latham

96) Ed Markey

97) James Langevin

98) David Scott

99) James Walsh

100) John Campbell

101) Rosa DeLauro

102) Dennis Moore

103) John Lewis

104) Leonard Boswell

105) Todd Russell Platts

106) Henry Brown Jr.

107) Jim Costa

108) John R. "Randy" Kuhl, Jr.

109) John Spratt

110) George Radanovich

111) Jay Inslee

112) Adam Smith

113) Mark Green

114) Jean Schmit

115) Bob Beauprez

116) John Barrow

117) Don Young

118) Sheila Jackson Lee

119) Jim Ramstad

120) Allen Boyd

121) Mark Kirk

122) Jeff Fortenberry

123) Cathy McMorris

124) Brad Miller

125) John Olver

126) Ken Calvert

127) Marsha Blackburn

128) Mark Udall

129) Rick Larsen

130) Martin Sabo

131) Rodney Frelinghuysen

132) Adam Schiff

133) John Schadegg

134) Jim Saxton

135) Dan Lungren

136) Jim McCrery

137) Dave Reichert

138) Stephen F. Lynch

139) Sam Graves

140) Chet Edwards

141) Ike Skelton

142) Kendrick Meek

143) John Tanner

144) Clay Shaw

145) Madeleine Bordallo

146) Sue Kelly

147) Ellen Tauscher

148) Charles Dent

149) Frank LoBiondo

150) Lincoln Davis

151) Virgil Goode

152) Robert Scott

153) John Sweeney

154) John Sullivan

155) Rush Holt

156) Mike Sodrel

157) Allyson Schwartz

158) Geoff Davis

159) G.K. Butterfield

160) Bobby Jindal

161) Henry Cuellar

162) Jan Schakowsky

163) Harold Ford Jr.

164) Jim Moran

165) John Doolittle

166) Peter DeFazio

167) Mike Ross

168) Wally Herger

169) Sanford D. Bishop, Jr.

170) Bart Gordon

171) Mike McCaul

172) Spencer Bachus

173) David Price

174) Frank Lucas

175) Darlene Hooley

176) Tom Allen

177) Barbara Cubin

178) James McGovern

179) Diana DeGette

180) Lincoln Diaz-Balart

181) Emanuel Cleaver

182) Joe Wilson

183) Chaka Fattah

184) Melissa Bean

185) Mike Pence

186) Rob Simmons

187) Lucille Roybal-Allard

188) Robert Aderholt

189) Patrick Kennedy

190) Tim Bishop

191) Nancy Johnson

192) Jerry Costello

193) Mary Bono

194) Charlie Melancon

195) Devin Nunes

196) Scott Garrett

197) Anna Eshoo

198) Jane Harman

199) Chris Cannon

200) Jon Porter

201) Richard Baker

202) Randy Forbes

203) Kay Granger

204) Brian Bilbray

205) Ginny Brown-Waite

206) Timothy Johnson

207) Charles Boustany

208) John Linder

209) Albert Wynn

210) Bart Stupak