Banning Hizbollah in Europe
By Michael Jacobson
I testified today before the Europe Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The subject of the hearing was "Adding Hizbollah to the EU terrorist list." Matt Levitt submitted a written statement as well. My prepared statement is below.
Introduction
The hearing today is on an important topic that has not always received the public attention it deserves. Understandably, in the terrorism arena, most of the focus over the past five years has been on al-Qaeda and its affiliates, and what governments are doing to combat their terrorist activities. Often forgotten in the process is Hizballah, which many experts regard as an even more capable and potentially dangerous organization.
Hizballah is an organization with a global reach, with an extensive presence in Africa, Latin America, and Europe. In his written testimony, my colleague Matthew Levitt discussed Hizballah's European activities at length, outlining the organization's involvement in numerous past terrorist acts in Europe, its use of Europe as a launching pad for attacks elsewhere, and its ongoing fundraising and recruiting. I'll focus my remarks today on why Hizballah is not banned in Europe, and what impact a ban could have.
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