Michael Jacobson is a senior fellow in The Washington Institute's Stein Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence.
Articles & Testimony
Introduction
The hearing today is on an important topic that has not always received the public attention it deserves. Understandably, in the terrorism arena, most of the focus over the past five years has been on al-Qaeda and its affiliates, and what governments are doing to combat their terrorist activities. Often forgotten in the process is Hezbollah, which many experts regard as an even more capable and potentially dangerous organization.
Hezbollah is an organization with a global reach, with an extensive presence in Africa, Latin America, and Europe. In his written testimony, my colleague Matthew Levitt discussed Hezbollah's European activities at length, outlining the organization's involvement in numerous past terrorist acts in Europe, its use of Europe as a launching pad for attacks elsewhere, and its ongoing fundraising and recruiting. I'll focus my remarks today on why Hezbollah is not banned in Europe, and what impact a ban could have.
