Matthew Levitt is the Fromer-Wexler Senior Fellow and director of the Reinhard Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence at The Washington Institute.
Articles & Testimony
To make the continent a less hospitable jurisdiction for the group’s criminal schemes, European authorities will have to take the lead in developing cases, armed with firm political will and a more intelligence-driven approach.
The following is an excerpt from a paper originally published by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) and Project CRAAFT. Download the PDF to read the full study.
Hizbullah financing in Europe has not diminished since the EU’s partial designation of the group in July 2013. While some of the cases discussed here predate the designation, many came afterwards. The designation empowered EU member states to do much more regarding Hizbullah terrorist operations, but less so when it comes to the group’s financial activities. Unless a given action is explicitly tied to Hizbullah’s terrorist or military activities, it is not covered under the designation. And while the EU’s Common Position 931 allows for designations of Hizbullah terrorist entities, it does not require them. In other words, such actions still require the political will to use this authority, and such will has been in short supply...
