Senate resolution asks Europe to list Hezbollah as terrorist group

The Senate passed a resolution Friday before leaving for the Christmas holiday that would encourage European countries to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. 

S. Res. 613, urges the European Union to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, impose sanctions and tells President Obama to provide information about Hezbollah to the European allies of the United States.

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) introduced the resolution after Hezbollah increased its recent rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza. Hezbollah is believed to have backing from Iran in order to destroy the Israeli nation, in addition to aiding Syrian President Bashar Assad’s “violent repressions against the people of Syria.”

The resolution asks European countries to implement sanctions against Hezbollah in order to stop them from helping Assad. 

The U.S. State Department has designated Hezbollah as a foreign terrorist organization since 1997. The resolution said that Europe should follow suit, “so that Hezbollah cannot use the territories of the European Union for fundraising, recruitment, financing, logistical support, training and propaganda.”

The resolution also says that Obama should give information to Bulgaria to investigate the July 18, 2012, terrorist attack in Burgas, which Hezbollah is suspected to have been involved in.

More than three-fifths of the Senate signed on as a co-sponsor to the resolution.

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