Following House Letter, 88 Senators Urge EU to Add Hezbollah to Terror List

In a bipartisan letter to EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, 88 Senators today called on the EU to add Hezbollah to its terrorist list -- adding to the chorus of the 209 members of the House who cosigned a similar letter to Solana last week. 

To date the EU has refused to add Hezbollah to its terrorist list -- despite 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.

Hezbollah is already a designated terrorist organization by the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom. As we've previously said, the EU designation would deal a devastating blow to Hezbollah's fundraising activities in Europe by requiring EU member states to cut off the terrorist group's funding sources and to seize Hezbollah assets. The full text of the letter is below the fold.

Text of the Senate Letter

Mr. Javier Solana

High Representative to the European Union

Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union

Council of the European Union

Rue de la Loi, 175 B-1048 Bruxelles

Belgium

Dear High Representative Solana:

We  write you today to urge the European Union to take immediate steps to add Hezbollah to the European Union List for the Application of Specific Measures to Combat Terrorism. This month's unprovoked attacks against Israeli civilians are the most recent reminder of Hezbollah's deadly nature.

Hezbollah has a long history of terrorist acts around the world - attacking US and French forces, kidnapping Americans and other Westerners, hijacking airplanes, and attacking Israeli interests in Argentina. These are only a few examples, but they clearly demonstrate that Hezbollah is focused on killing innocent civilians as well as military forces. They also show that the threat from Hezbollah extends around the world and knows no borders.

Hezbollah's most recent actions - the unprovoked kidnapping of two Israel Defense Forces soldiers from Israeli territory and the continued firing of thousands of missiles into Israeli towns and cities aimed specifically at civilians - should conclusively demonstrate Hezbollah's nature as a terrorist organization. The resulting crisis threatens to destabilize the entire region as well as inflict suffering on millions of innocent civilians on both sides of the border.

Placing Hezbollah on the EU's List for the Application of Specific Measures to Combat Terrorism will not only have important symbolic value at such a difficult time, it will also further cut off funding sources and assets that are used to support Hezbollah's ongoing terrorist acts.

The United Nations Security Council acted in September 2004 with Resolution 1559, calling on Hezbollah to disarm so that it would no longer pose a threat to the democratically elected Lebanese government. It is time that the EU joins the international community in aggressively working to end funding and support for Hezbollah.

We appreciate your time and look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Akaka, Daniel

Allard, Wayne

Allen, George

Bayh, Evan

Bennett, Robert

Biden, Joe

Bingaman, Jeff

Bond, Kit

Boxer, Barbara

Brownback, Sam

Bunning, Jim

Burns, Conrad

Burr, Richard

Cantwell, Maria

Carper, Tom

Chambliss, Saxby

Clinton, Hillary

Cochran, Thad

Coleman, Norm

Collins, Susan

Conrad, Kent

Cornyn, John

Crapo, Mike

Dayton, Mark

DeMint, Jim

DeWine, Mike

Dodd, Chris

Dole, Elizabeth

Dorgan, Byron

Durbin, Richard

Ensign, John

Feingold, Russ

Feinstein, Dianne

Frist, Bill

Graham, Lindsey

Grassley, Charles

Harkin, Tom

Hatch, Orrin

Hutchison, K. B.

Inhofe, James

Inouye, Daniel

Isakson, Johnny

Jeffords, James

Johnson, Tim

Kennedy, Ted

Kerry, John

Kohl, Herb

Kyl, Jon

Landrieu, Mary

Lautenberg, F.

Leahy, Patrick

Levin, Carl

Lieberman, Joe

Lincoln, Blanche

Lott, Trent

Martinez, Mel

McCain, John

McConnell, Mitch

Menendez, R.

Mikulski, Barbara

Murkowski, Lisa

Murray, Patty

Nelson, Ben

Nelson, Bill

Obama, Barack

Pryor, Mark

Reed, Jack

Reid, Harry

Roberts, Pat

Rockefeller, John

Salazar, Ken

Santorum, Rick

Sarbanes, Paul

Schumer, Chuck

Sessions, Jeff

Shelby, Richard

Smith, Gordon

Snowe, Olympia

Specter, Arlen

Stabenow, D.

Stevens, Ted

Sununu, John

Talent, Jim

Thomas, Craig

Thune, John

Vitter, David

Voinovich, G.

Wyden, Ron