Report: Hizbullah Anti-Terrorism Act to be Approved in Fall
The Hizbullah Anti-Terrorism Act is still under discussion by the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs and is likely to be adopted in the fall, congressional sources told As Safir daily Saturday.
U.S. Congressman Howard Berman has introduced the HATA that sets rigorous requirements for the provision of foreign assistance to Lebanon during periods when Hizbullah is part of the majority governing coalition.
The cosponsors of HATA include three Congressmen of Lebanese origin -Darrell Issa, Charles Boustany, and Nick Rahall.
Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is seeking to introduce stronger wordings in the Act but without making major amendments to it, the congressional sources told As Safir.
However, the legislation is likely to be approved after the summer vacation of Congress that lasts from August 8 till September 5, they said.
The report came amid growing concern in the U.S. over Hizbullah’s influence in Latin America and its implications on U.S. Homeland security.
The Committee on Homeland Security’s Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence held a hearing on the issue on Thursday.
Roger Noriega from the American Enterprise Institute said in his remarks that Hizbullah acts as a proxy for Iran, specifically, of the Qods Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. “These determined and deadly enemies of the United States have made substantial progress in the last six years to expand their influence and operations in Latin America.”
“Hizbullah operatives have provided weapons and explosives training to drug trafficking organizations that operate along the U.S. border with Mexico and have sought to radicalize Muslim populations in several Mexican cities,” he said.
Noriega expected to see the Shiite party presence in Latin America become more active and deadly in the coming years.
Researcher at The International Assessment and Strategy Center Douglas Farah said that in addition to its growing presence in Latin America, Hizbullah has a smuggling network in West Africa to move contraband diamonds and other commodities.
It is now involved in the trafficking of cocaine from Latin America to Europe, he said.
Melani Cammett, who is Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of Middle East Studies Program at Brown University, said during the hearing that the Special Tribunal for Lebanon “continues to destabilize Lebanese politics, with Hizbullah declaring its firm opposition to the proceedings and attempting to undermine the investigation’s credibility, particularly after prosecutors announced the indictments of four Hizbullah members.”
She said, however, that there is no evidence that the Shiite party aims to launch global operations, as carried out by Sunni extremist groups such as al-Qaida.
“To the contrary, the organization has explicitly and repeatedly condemned the indiscriminate, large-scale acts of violence perpetrated by Sunni extremists,” Cammett added.
almost 13 years
"USA to enforce its declaration against Hezballah as terrorist organization"
U.S.A dilemma: they got stuck in Iraq, they are being humiliated in Afghanistan, Iran is leaving you without dignity, each day less friends in M.E; you have been deeply sunk in a pool of misery in order to think twice before trying to involve in Hezballah matters.!!! you have been disclosed as unrecovered failures!!!.
almost 13 years
With how outspoken Nasrallah's government is about America being our enemy, they should come out immediately and declare they do not want and will not accept any US assistance.
Iran has money.
almost 13 years
sasi you mean "Hi khobi khobam, kifak?" I’ll prefer the filthy militia dissolves and weapons only under LA. The brainwashed sheep must be send to schools and learn about democratic ideas, Khomeni is not god, other religions are ok and the fatty rat is only a street gang punk and working and earning money 9-5 is not a sin
almost 13 years
As far as we are concerned, these prostitutes can take this resolution and shove it up their rear tunnel of love and that of their puppets, aka March 14 leftovers. Elections in the US are around the corner. This is high-time to suck up to Israel, otherwise they have no hope in getting re-employed.
almost 13 years
Oh, no! This is the end of the love affair between them! How sad!
almost 13 years
@i_ataoui,
You may consider the USA unrecovered failures however they haven't lived with anyone elses troops in their country for 200+ years, have 1 political assasination for ever 250 of ours, don't have a turbaned rat running their government and have gone 150 years without a civil war, and require financial aid from no one.
Yes big failures they are.
almost 13 years
why doesnt the U.S.A commit to protect us from Israel if it attacks us? or at least, guarantee that Israel will never attack us again.
Only then, one can say, we dont need the military presence of the resistance.
Otherwise, they refuse to sell the army weapons and they refuse to protect us from the enemy. Even worse, they gave us to the syrians and the Israelis for a long time.....Go figure.
almost 13 years
Now, you have idiots giving advice and commenting on U.S. Troubles. It is fascinating to watch cesspool dwellers criticize anyone and anywhere.
almost 13 years
Lebanon should be split in 2. One for the democratic state of Lebanon and the South for the repressive regime of Hizthrowup. The Lebanese must know they will never have complete control over their great country. Wise up now before Hiz starts another war.
almost 13 years
@ i_ataoui,
you seem to have deep trouble understanding the world you live in. If you consider the country that produces the highest number of nobel laureates, the highest number of patents, that has the best universities and research centers, the best hospitals, the most innovative companies (without which your stupid comment wouldn't have reached me)... than obviously in your standards iran wins!
Our new government is the best ally of Israel - it gives him enough support to turn the international community against Lebanon (read the headline above). I hope that what will come next will NOT make it absolutely clear to YOU what the real meaning of FAILURE is!
almost 13 years
@@Bashir
"they haven't lived with anyone elses troops in their country "; but thier troops are present uselessly in other countries. INVASION.
" have 1 political assasination"; But hey charges to assassinate thousands in other countries.
"don't have a turbaned rat running their government"; GW Bush was mad not only turbaned and so on Obama (zionists).
" 150 years without a civil war" but they create civil war in other countries influencing in people like you.
almost 13 years
Hassoun
they are throwing flowers on the US Ambassador in Syria.,why don't you go there and let's see what they are going to throw at you
almost 13 years
US is bad right, they have their own problem, they play police in the world but god forbid they are not as bad as Iran!
oh please spare us the crap, Lebanese student get USAID , Lebanese NGO's get USAID, Lebanese army get USAID.
Please either go to iran and leave in peace or ask Iran to fund all what the US will stop funding. Get out of your skin!
You cannot keep playing this double standard game with the international community!
almost 13 years
hey sasi, I went to AUB I never got US aid, my friends went to AUB with highest grades, they never got US aid, some lebanese guy helped them through, and countless others i know of never got US Aid in matter of fact AUB gets millions of dollars of US AID plus our millions of dollars but all i see is that it goes in the pockets of sleeper cells here and a few new benches , hell don;'t get me started of where else it goes anywhere BUT to help the students or open up new opportuinities for graduates, ask anywhere and they''ll tell you how they got screwd over by those universities.
Lebanese NGO's? what kind of NGO's are we talkin about here?
Lebanese Army, sure if you consider a few bullets which wont fire and 100 year old m16's disgused with a handful of used humvees as aid, I say thats quite impressive.
in end sure there's some money flowing in but in the scale of balance this is unjustifiable excuse.
at any rate i\m not against the west, its important for economy but not like this
almost 13 years
To Zizi,
The only excuse Israel has to ever attack Lebanon is Hizballah. Remember 2006, who started that war and who lost?? To be clear, Hizballah started it and Lebanon and the Lebanese people suffered all the losses. Israel tested its airforce and went back home, Hassan Nasrallah emerged from his rat hole as a hero. Why can't every decent Lebanese see this clearly regardless of their dislike to Hariri or any other politician that stood up to Nasrallah. Nasrallah has taken advantage of the innocent minds of those Lebanese who have long suffered and cleverly manipulated them and twisted their judgement. He is not a protector of Lebanon, he is a destroyer with no qualms and only one agenda: gain as much power as possible to serve the interest of Iran, Lebanon and the Lebanese are just vehicles.
almost 13 years
funny how history repeat itself and few learn from it!
first there was the palestinian resistance = result 15 yrs of civil war
now there is hezbollah "resistance" and if you are against it simply means you are israeli , you cannot be lebanese and against hezbollah! binary thinking of binary minds...
tomorrow what other "resistance" will lebanon have to support?
almost 13 years
Have you noticed that no more news about syria on naharnet?
Hizballah started making rules.
almost 13 years
OK enough with this, now that everyone including Hassan almighty himself agree that his Hezb is infested with Mossad and CIA agents can we please stop talking about the sanctity of the weapon as no one with any Lebanese blood trusts CIA and Mossad agent with thousands of rockets but everyone trust the Lebanese Army.
almost 13 years
Of course its coming. Hezbollah has insured that it is coming and Lebanon will begin to look a lot like Gaza to the international community and international trade. Hezbollah pushes Mikati to abandon the STL at risk of the consequences of this act.
If you think that Hezbollah is unpopular in Lebanon now among the non-Shia population, just let Lebanon witness the whiplash that will come from the Mikati Government turning its back on the STL. No country can turn away from international commitments with impunity. The penalty is sure to follow.
Then will Aoun be able to hold his Christian constituencies in line when they start losing money and business? If politics is first, it is because of economic rewards thta follow. Absent the economic rewards, the politics and politicians are abandoned.
About time.
I would like to see them enter under the Lebanese army and we get done from all this mess. Bass hassan nassrallah teiss! bado ya3moul halo allah.
well bravo more isolation to Lebanon, soon we start to speak farsi french and arabic , so hi kifak ca va will turn into Salam bi kheir kifak ca va?