I 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3082 

To require a report on the designation of the Libyan faction of Ansar 

al-Sharia as a foreign terrorist organization, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 11, 2013 

Mr. POE of Texas (for himself, Mr. DESANTIS, Mr. KINGSTON, Mr. YOHO, 

Mr. GOHMERT, Mr. PITTS, Mr. WEBER of Texas, Mr. WALBERG, Mr. 

KING of Iowa, and Mr. WILSON of South Carolina) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To require a report on the designation of the Libyan faction 

of Ansar al-Sharia as a foreign terrorist organization, 

and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Ansar al-Sharia Ter5 rorist Designation Act of 2013’’. 

6 SEC. 2. REPORT ON DESIGNATION OF THE LIBYAN FAC7 TIONS OF ANSAR AL-SHARIA AS A FOREIGN 

8 TERRORIST ORGANIZATION. 

9 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) Ansar al-Sharia Benghazi first announced 

2 itself in February 2012. The group is led by Mu3 hammad al-Zahawi, who had previously been an in4 mate of former President Muammar al-Qaddafi’s in5 famous Abu Salim prison. 

6 (2) On August 6, 2013, the Department of Jus7 tice filed sealed criminal charges against Ahmed Abu 

8 Khattalah, a senior commander within Libya’s 

9 Islamist militia Ansar al-Sharia. According to the 

10 Wall Street Journal, Mr. Abu Khattalah was seen at 

11 the United States consulate in Benghazi during the 

12 September 11, 2012, attack that killed United 

13 States Ambassador Christopher Stevens, Sean 

14 Smith, Tyrone Woods, and Glen Doherty. 

15 (3) On October 17, 2012, the New York Times 

16 reported that Libyan authorities named Ahmed Abu 

17 Khattalah as a commander in the September 11, 

18 2012, attack on the United States consulate in 

19 Benghazi. 

20 (4) On August 8, 2013, the Washington Insti21 tute for Near East Peace issued a report in which 

22 it highlights Ansar al-Sharia’s establishment of 

23 training camps in Libya for jihadists preparing to 

24 fight with extremist rebels in Syria. 


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1 (5) Abu Sufian Bin Qumu, leader of the Ansar 

2 al-Sharia faction in Darnah, Libya, is a former 

3 Guantanamo Bay inmate with close al-Qaeda ties. 

4 Bin Qumu was an associate of Usama bin Laden 

5 and is believed to maintain connections to senior al6 Qaeda members. 

7 (6) According to a report published by the Li8 brary of Congress in August 2012, Ansar al-Sharia 

9 ‘‘has increasingly embodied al Qaeda’s presence in 

10 Libya, as indicated by its active social-media propa11 ganda, extremist discourse, and hatred of the West, 

12 especially the United States’’. 

13 (7) According to a report published by the Li14 brary of Congress in August 2012, al-Qaeda’s senior 

15 leadership in Pakistan has dispatched operatives to 

16 Libya to establish a clandestine terrorist network 

17 there. The report concluded that al-Qaeda is on the 

18 verge of a fully operational network inside Libya, 

19 and Ansar al-Sharia is one of the brands employed 

20 by al Qaeda operatives. 

21 (b) REPORT.— 

22 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days after 

23 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 

24 of State shall, in consultation with the intelligence 


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1 community, submit to the appropriate congressional 

2 committees— 

3 (A) a detailed report on whether the Liby4 an faction of Ansar al-Sharia, meets the criteria 

5 for designation as a foreign terrorist organiza6 tion under section 219 of the Immigration and 

7 Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1189); and 

8 (B) if the Secretary of State determines 

9 that the Libyan faction of Ansar al-Sharia does 

10 not meet such criteria, a detailed justification 

11 as to which criteria have not been met. 

12 (2) FORM.—The report required by paragraph 

13 (1) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may 

14 include a classified annex if appropriate. 

15 (3) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 

16 (A) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COM17 MITTEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congres18 sional committees’’ means— 

19 (i) the Committee on Homeland Secu20 rity and Governmental Affairs, the Com21 mittee on Armed Services, the Committee 

22 on Foreign Relations, and the Select Com23 mittee on Intelligence of the Senate; and 

24 (ii) the Committee on Homeland Se25 curity, the Committee on Armed Services, 


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1 the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and the 

2 Permanent Select Committee on Intel3 ligence of the House of Representatives. 

4 (B) INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY.—The 

5 term ‘‘intelligence community’’ has the meaning 

6 given that term in section 3(4) of the National 

7 Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 401a(4)). 

8 SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

9 It is the sense of Congress that the Libyan faction 

10 of Ansar al-Sharia meets the criteria for designation as 

11 a foreign terrorist organization under section 219 of the 

12 Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1189) and 

13 should be designated as such. 

14 SEC. 4. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. 

15 Nothing in this Act may be construed to infringe 

16 upon the sovereignty of the Government of Libya to com17 bat militant or terrorist groups operating inside the 

18 boundaries of Libya. 

Æ 


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