CANDY-COATING TERRORISM AT THE EU
Ibd Tue Aug 8, 7:00 PM ET
World War III: The European Union seems to think peacemaking in the Mideast means pretending
terrorists aren't terrorists. But coddling Hezbollah will only help Islamofascists grow into a global threat.
Subscribing to the Neville
Chamberlain school of diplomacy, the EU announced last week that it would not be adding the Islamist Hezbollah movement to
its list of terrorist organizations, rebuffing a recommendation by the U.S. Congress.
"Given the sensitive situation
where we are, I don't think this is something we will be acting on now," said Finnish Foreign Minister and EU President Erkki
Tuomioja. But Europe knows very well that Hezbollah is a terrorist group. Consider:
Hezbollah members and associates
are already listed as terrorist individuals by the EU.
Hezbollah explicitly supports
groups designated by the EU as terrorist organizations.
Germany has deported Hezbollah agents.
France has banned Hezbollah's television organ, al Manar.
Britain has placed the "Hezbollah External Security Organization" on its terrorist list.
The U.S., Canada and Australia all classify Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.
Even Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt have called Hezbollah's actions against Israel "irresponsible and
inappropriate."
As pointed out in a letter
to the EU from Rep. Cliff Stearns of Florida and 10 other House Republicans, if Europe were
to classify Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, it would prohibit "the channeling of money from European entities and individuals
to Hezbollah" and it would mean the seizure of Hezbollah's assets in Europe.
Hezbollah leader Sheikh
Sayyed Hassan Nasarallah admitted in an al Manar interview that the group's funding sources "will dry up and the sources of
moral, political, and material support will be destroyed" if the EU added Hezbollah to its terrorist list.
Nor is it only the EU that
is excusing Hezbollah's carnage. Rep. Marsha, R-Tenn., condemned her colleagues who refuse to denounce the group for its terrorist
activities.
"They are funded and armed
by Iran and Syria, and that ought to be clear to everyone," Blackburn said. "The same type of terrorists who attacked
America on Sept. 11th have been attacking Israel for decades."
The remarks seemed to be
aimed especially at Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., who would return to a powerful committee chairmanship (Energy and Commerce)
should the Democrats regain control of the House this year.
Dingell recently quipped
on Detroit television, "I don't take sides for or against
Hezbollah. I don't take sides for or against Israel" -- the idea being
that the democratic state of Israel and
a terrorist group are moral equals.
Notably, there are tens
of thousands of Muslims living in Dingell's congressional district, many of whom have relatives in Lebanon. Dingell should be reminded, however, that Hezbollah is not just a faraway
problem for distant Israel and Lebanon.
House Terrorism Subcommittee
Chairman Ed Royce, R-Calif., told UPI there are signs the group may be planning an attack against the U.S. Royce warned of
"a renewed operational focus by Hezbollah on getting their people in over the border, between the ports of entry" so they
can slip into the U.S. unnoticed.
Royce is concerned with
an increase in Brazilian citizens who are ethnic Lebanese being apprehended at the Mexican border. Many Lebanese live where
the borders of Argentina, Bolivia
and Brazil meet, and Hezbollah is believed
to have an active presence there.
Royce also noted that Hezbollah
associates in Iran have spoken of the group's ability to launch suicide
attacks against U.S. interests. As he
points out, such a potential threat from "would behoove the United States
to get some measure of control of the border."
As we watch the news in
comfort and freedom and see Hezbollah rockets take the lives of innocents, we may be tempted to think we're far removed from
any threat. But Hezbollah is another arm of global Islamofascism, a force in a jihad-to-the-death with Western civilization.
If we foolishly take the EU/Neville Chamberlain route, the day will come when we -- and our children -- pay dearly.