US bill to urge EU to label Hezbollah terror group

WASHINGTON – US Senator Joe Lieberman is expected to introduce a resolution in the coming days that would urge the European Union to label Hezbollah a terrorist organization.The draft resolution by the Connecticut Independent, who is retiring at the end of the year, calls on European countries as well as the EU to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist group. The resolution additionally asks the Obama administration to provide information about Hezbollah to its European allies.The measure also supports the Bulgarian government in its investigation of the July 18 terrorist attack there where several Israeli tourists were killed. The attack is believed to have been perpetrated by the Lebanese militant group.The resolution, which about half of the members of the Senate have already signed onto, notes Hezbollah’s role in the terrorist attacks on the Israeli Embassy in Argentina in 1992 and a Jewish center in Buenos Aires in 1994, and its activities in Syria as it defends Bashar Assad’s brutal regime.Earlier this year, the top White House terrorism adviser delivered the same message in Europe.In unusually blunt language, John Brennan, presidential adviser on terrorism, told Europeans that their actions against Hezbollah had not been sufficient and that they needed to brand Hezbollah a terrorist group.“Failure to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization makes it harder to defend our countries and protect our citizens,” he said during a speech in Ireland in October. “Without international recognition of and action against Hezbollah’s terrorism, the group will continue to operate with impunity and it will be able to raise funds that enable its terrorist activity.”He stressed, “To prevent this, the international community must assume a more proactive posture against Hezbollah.”