IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 359 

Urging the European Union to designate Hizballah in its entirety as a 

terrorist organization and increase pressure on it and its members. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 25, 2017 

Mr. DEUTCH (for himself, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mrs. DAVIS of California, Ms. ROSLEHTINEN, Mr. KELLY of Pennsylvania, Mr. JEFFRIES, Mr. TED LIEU

of California, Mr. ZELDIN, and Mr. SCHNEIDER) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Urging the European Union to designate Hizballah in its 

entirety as a terrorist organization and increase pressure 

on it and its members. 

Whereas in July 2012 a Hizballah terror attack in Bulgaria 

killed five Israeli tourists and one Bulgarian; 

Whereas in March 2013 a Hizballah operative in Cyprus was 

convicted of planning terror attacks after admitting he 

was a member of Hizballah, was trained in the use of 

weapons, and used a dual Swedish-Lebanese passport to 

travel around Europe on missions as a courier and scout 

for Hizballah; 

Whereas though such Hizballah operative was convicted on 

criminal-related charges, authorities had to drop terVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:09 May 26, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR359.IH HR359

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•HRES 359 IH 

rorism charges against him because Hizballah was not 

listed as a terrorist organization; 

Whereas the European Union (EU) in July 2013 designated 

Hizballah’s so-called ‘‘military wing’’—but not the organization as a whole—as a terrorist organization; 

Whereas despite restrictions put on Hizballah since the designation of its military wing, the group continues to conduct illicit narco-trafficking, money laundering, and 

weapons trafficking throughout Europe; 

Whereas EU designation of Hizballah’s military wing has enabled substantial and important cooperation between 

United States and European authorities aimed at uncovering and thwarting Hizballah’s international criminal activities, such as drug trafficking and money laundering, 

the proceeds of which are used to purchase weapons and 

advance Hizballah’s terrorist aims; 

Whereas in December 2015 the Hizballah International Financing Prevention Act of 2015 (Public Law 114–102) 

was signed into law in the United States, broadening financial sector sanctions against Hizballah to compel foreign financial institutions to refrain from supporting the 

terrorist group; 

Whereas in February 2016 the United States Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Customs and Border Protection partnered with counterparts in France, Germany, 

Italy, and Belgium to arrest top leaders of the European 

cell of Hizballah’s External Security Organization Business Affairs Component—a cell that engages in international money laundering and drug trafficking to support Hizballah’s terror activities; 


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•HRES 359 IH 

Whereas for many years, the Governments of Iran and Syria 

have been the prime sponsors of Hizballah, harboring, financing, training, and arming the group; 

Whereas Department of Defense officials estimate that Iran 

provides as much as $200,000,000 per year to Hizballah 

in the form of financial and logistical support, weapons, 

and training; 

Whereas Hizballah now has an arsenal of approximately 

150,000 missiles and rockets, many of which can reach 

deep into Israel, at a time when Hizballah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah is threatening to attack and invade Israel; 

Whereas Hizballah fighters have been supporting the Assad 

regime in Syria, often leading operations in the conflict 

which has left more than 465,000 dead; 

Whereas Russia has established fusion centers in Syria to coordinate with Iran, the Assad regime, and Hizballah, and 

Russian air cover has given Hizballah an advantage on 

the battlefield against Syria rebels; 

Whereas the conflict in Syria has fueled a migrant crisis that 

has brought nearly 400,000 migrants and refugees to 

Europe in 2016 and 2017 alone; 

Whereas Lebanon continues to be plagued by instability and 

violence; 

Whereas due to Hizballah’s actions in Syria, the Islamic 

State of Iraq and the Levant has carried out retaliatory 

terrorist attacks in Beirut; 

Whereas the Lebanese Armed Forces, the legitimate security 

establishment of the country as set forth in United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 (2006), are strugVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:09 May 26, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR359.IH HR359

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•HRES 359 IH 

gling to control the flow of weapons and Hizballah fighters at its borders; 

Whereas Hizballah trains and provides weapons for Shiite militias in Iraq and Yemen, further destabilizing the region 

and perpetuating violence in those countries; 

Whereas in October 2012 Hizballah Deputy Secretary General Naim Qassem stated that ‘‘[Hizballah does not] have 

a military wing and a political one . . . Every element of 

Hizballah, from commanders to members as well as our 

various capabilities, are in the service of the resistance’’; 

Whereas the United States, Canada, Israel, and the Netherlands have designated Hizballah in its entirety as a terror 

organization, while Australia and New Zealand have applied the designation to the organization’s so-called military wing; 

Whereas in March 2016 the Gulf Cooperation Council, the 

bloc of six Gulf Arab nations, formally branded 

Hizballah, in its entirety, a terrorist organization, and 

the League of Arab States shortly thereafter adopted the 

same designation; 

Whereas in April 2016 the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, denounced Hizballah’s ‘‘terrorist acts’’ in the Middle 

East; 

Whereas Hizballah Secretary General Nasrallah said in May 

2017 that the conflict in Syria had entered a ‘‘new and 

critical phase’’ in which Damascus, Moscow, Tehran, and 

Hezbollah were ‘‘in more harmony politically and militarily than at any time’’; and 

Whereas in May 2017 the United States and Saudi Arabia 

sanctioned Hashem Saffiedine, a member of Hizballah’s 

executive council which oversees the organization’s politVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:09 May 26, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR359.IH HR359

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•HRES 359 IH 

ical, organizational, social and educational activities, for 

his involvement in terrorist activity: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) expresses appreciation to the European 

3 Union (EU) for the progress made in countering 

4 Hizballah since the EU designated Hizballah’s mili5 tary wing as a terrorist organization; 

6 (2) applauds and expresses support for the con7 tinued, increased cooperation between the United 

8 States and the EU in thwarting Hizballah’s criminal 

9 and terrorist activities; 

10 (3) supports transcontinental efforts within Eu11 rope to share intelligence information among police 

12 and security services to facilitate greater cooperation 

13 in tracking, apprehending, and prosecuting terror14 ists, foreign fighters, and potential offenders; 

15 (4) encourages the EU to, whenever possible 

16 and applicable with due process standards, imple17 ment sanctions against Hizballah-affiliated terrorists 

18 in tandem with the United States; and 

19 (5) urges the EU to designate Hizballah in its 

20 entirety as a terrorist organization and increase 

21 pressure on the group, including through— 

22 (A) facilitating better cross-border coopera23 tion between EU members in combating 

24 Hizballah; 


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•HRES 359 IH 

1 (B) issuing arrest warrants against mem2 bers and active supporters of Hizballah; 

3 (C) freezing Hizballah’s assets in Europe, 

4 including those masquerading as charities; and 

5 (D) prohibiting fundraising activities in 

6 support of Hizballah. 

Æ 


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