US House urges EU to name Hezbollah as terrorist organization

WASHINGTON - The US House of Representatives on Monday adopted a resolution calling on the European Union to put Lebanese Shiite organization Hezbollah on its list of terrorist organizations.
The 390-3 vote came as the European Parliament Thursday backed measures to be taken against Hezbollah if the Lebanese Shiite organisation is found to have terrorist activities.
The parliament members did not, however, put it on a European list of terror organisations, after a proposal to do so was dropped.
In its resolution, the US Congress, "urges the European Union to classify Hezbollah as a terrorist organization for purposes of prohibiting funding from the European Union to Hezbollah and recognizing it as a threat to international security."
It "condemns the continuous terrorist attacks perpetrated by Hezbollah," as well as continued Hezbollah support "of Palestinian terrorist organizations on the European Union terrorist list, such as the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine."
Democrat Tom Lantos said that "given Hezbollah's bloody record ... it is very odd, indeed, that the European Union continues to omit Hezbollah from its list of terrorist organizations."

03/15/2005 00:15 GMT