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
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