U.S. senators sign on to call for Europe to sanction Hezbollah

WASHINGTON (JTA) — More than half the members of the U.S. Senate have signed on to a resolution urging the European Union to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization and levy sanctions.

The resolution, initiated by Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.), who is retiring at the end of this month, calls on President Obama to provide information about Hezbollah to European allies of the United States and for those countries to support the government of Bulgaria’s investigation of the July 18 terrorist attack there in which a suicide bomber killed himself, five Israeli tourists and a bus driver.

The resolution, which has yet to be formally introduced, asks that sanctions be leveled against Hezbollah for “providing material support to Bashar al Assad’s ongoing campaign of violent repression against the people of Syria.”

According to the resolution, should the governments of Europe and the European Union designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, it would no longer be able to fundraise, recruit, finance, provide logistical support, train or propagandize throughout Europe.

The U.S. designated Hezbollah as a foreign terrorist organization in October 1997.

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