Tags
Assad, attacks on civilians, Chechnya, Cuba, Donbas, Georgia, Graham, Grozny, Iran, Latin America, Libya, Malaysian airliner, McCain, mercenaries, Middle East, North Korea, poisoning opposition, President Zelenskyy, Putin, Rada, Russia, Russian Federation, Senator Graham, Skripal, state sanctioned terror, State Sponsor of Terrorism, Sudan, summary executions, Syrian, UK, Ukraine, Wagner Group, war crimes
This should have been done years ago. Their friends in Syria and Iran have been on there a long time, as well as North Korea and Cuba.
Let us never forget that Putin served the KGB as an apparent liaison officer between the Stasi and KGB. North Korea was created by the USSR and Cuba supported by the USSR. Assad (father) was an ally of the USSR.
“US Senate Resolution 623 and its new companion US House Resolution 1113
S. RES. 623 Calling on the Secretary of State to designate the Russian Federation as a state sponsor of terrorism.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 9, 2022
Mr. Graham (for himself and Mr. Blumenthal) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
RESOLUTION
Calling on the Secretary of State to designate the Russian Federation as a state sponsor of terrorism.
* Whereas, pursuant to section 1754(c) of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (50 U.S.C. 4813(c)), section 40 of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2779A), and section 620A of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2371), the authority to designate a country as a state sponsor of terrorism rests with the Secretary of State;
* Whereas Cuba, the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea, Iran, and Syria are designated as state sponsors of terrorism;
* Whereas, at the direction of President Vladimir Putin, the Government of the Russian Federation has and continues to promote acts of international terrorism against political opponents and nation states;
* Whereas, under the orders of President Putin, the Government of the Russian Federation engaged in a campaign of terror, utilizing brutal force targeting civilians during the Second Chechen War;
* Whereas actions by the Government of the Russian Federation against civilian centers, such as Grozny, the capital of Chechnya, left countless innocent men, women, and children dead or wounded;
* Whereas, since 2014, the Government of the Russian Federation has supported separatists engaging in acts of violence against Ukrainian civilians in the Donbas region;
* Whereas, since the entry of the Russian Federation into the Syrian Civil War in 2015, the Russian Federation has targeted innocent civilians in Syria with attacks on civilian markets, medical facilities, and schools;
* Whereas the Government of the Russian Federation provides material support to Syria, a nation currently designated as a state sponsor of terrorism, that has been used to target the Syrian people;
* Whereas, according to the Congressional Research Service, the Russian Federation spreads terror throughout the world through private military networks of mercenaries, such as the Wagner Group, in an effort to “project power cheaply and deniably”;
* Whereas the Wagner Group collaborates with the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation to support the foreign policy objectives of the Russian Federation;
* Whereas the Department of the Treasury identifies the Wagner Group as “a designated Russian Ministry of Defense proxy force” and states that “Wagner’s activities in other countries, including Ukraine, Syria, Sudan, and Libya, have generated insecurity and incited violence against innocent civilians”;
* Whereas it was reported in February 2022 that more than 400 Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group were dispatched to Kyiv with orders from the Kremlin to assassinate President Volodymyr Zelensky and members of the Government of Ukraine;
* Whereas, on March 14, 2022, Chairperson-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Zbigniew Rau stated that actions of the Government of the Russian Federation in Ukraine against innocent civilians and civilian infrastructure is “state terrorism”;
* Whereas, on March 17, 2022, President Volodymyr Zelensky called for the world to acknowledge the Russian Federation as a terrorist state;
* Whereas the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has appealed to Congress to encourage the Department of State to recognize the Russian Federation as a state sponsor of terrorism noting that “the Russian Federation has for years supported and financed terrorist regimes and terrorist organizations, including being the main supplier of weapons to the Assad regime in Syria and supporting terrorists in the Middle East and Latin America, organizing acts of international terrorism, including the poisoning of the Skripal family in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the downing of a civilian Malaysian airliner and other acts of terrorism”;
* Whereas, on April 27, 2022, Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated before Congress that “there’s no doubt in my mind that the Russians are terrorizing the Ukrainian people”;
* Whereas, at the direction of President Putin, the Russian Federation has and continues to commit war crimes by directing and authorizing the indiscriminate targeting of civilian centers within Chechnya, Georgia, Syria, and Ukraine, resulting in the deaths of countless innocent men, women, and children;
* Whereas armed forces of the Russian Federation have committed numerous summary executions against innocent civilians and have attempted to cover their atrocities with mass graves across Ukraine; and
* Whereas, when responding to questions regarding designating the Russian Federation as a state sponsor of terrorism, the spokesperson for the Department of State stated that “we are going to look at all potential options—options that are available to us under the law, options that would be effective in holding Russia to account—and if a tool is available and effective, we won’t hesitate to use it”:
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate—
(1) views the actions of the Government of the Russian Federation, at the direction of President Vladimir Putin, as acts of terrorism; and
(2) calls on the Secretary of State to designate the Russian Federation as a state sponsor of terrorism”. https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-resolution/623/text
“Wilson and Lieu Introduce Bipartisan Resolution on Designating Russia as a State Sponsor of Terrorism
May 12, 2022 Press Release
Washington, D.C. – Congressmen Joe Wilson (R-SC) and Ted Lieu (D-CA), both members of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, introduced a resolution calling for the Secretary of State to designate the Russian Federation as a state sponsor of terrorism.
Under the direction of Putin and in addition to the murderous atrocities currently being committed against the people of Ukraine, the Russian Federation has and continues to promote acts of international terrorism against political opponents and nation states around the world.
The Russian Federation must be held accountable for their acts of global terrorism.
This resolution serves as a companion to the Senate version introduced by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC).
“The world is painfully aware of war criminal Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent and ongoing bloodbath that has already resulted in the death of unknown thousands of Ukrainian civilians and soldiers. However, Russia’s involvement in international terrorism is more expansive and has been well documented for years, whether through direct attacks or orchestrated through private military networks and hired thugs. Their reign of terror must stop, and this designation is one way to formally and collectively recognize what they have done against humanity,” said Rep. Wilson.
“Ukraine will remain a free, sovereign and independent nation thanks to a coalition of countries led by the United States committed to democracy and opposing Russian aggression. But there is more we can do to support Ukrainian efforts to defend their country in what is looking to be a protracted war. By designating Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism, the United States would be able to ban dual-use exports to Russia and take economic action against other countries that do business with Russia. What’s more, the U.S. could further inflict pain on Russia by freezing the country’s assets in the U.S., like real estate. We know that Russia provides sanctuary to a U.S.-designated terrorist group and has employed mercenaries with histories of human rights violations. A state sponsor of terrorism designation is a common-sense way to further aid Ukraine. I’m pleased to join Rep. Wilson in introducing this legislation,” said Rep. Lieu.
Background
The four main categories of sanctions resulting from countries designated as state sponsors of terrorism by the Secretary, under the existing laws and authorities, include restrictions on U.S. foreign assistance, a ban on defense exports and sales, certain controls over exports of dual use items, and miscellaneous financial and other restrictions. Currently, only Cuba, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), Iran, and Syria are designated as state sponsors of terrorism.
Issues:
Foreign Affairs, National Security” https://joewilson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/wilson-and-lieu-introduce-bipartisan-resolution-on-designating-russia-as
https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-resolution/1113
HT to pro-Putin Ron Paul who pointed this out. Pro-Putin Ron Paul dislikes this resolution. He also defends his son, Rand Paul, who is blocking the US Defense-Ukraine bill, which Putin has made necessary. Their tactic appears to be pretending that everyone else is ignorant and stupid, whereas they appear compromised, unless they bribed their way through med school. And, of course, you don’t need the ability to think to become a doctor in the United States, only the ability to memorize. To be a good doctor you need to have a good memory and an ability to think: https://web.archive.org/web/20220517101913mp_/http://www.ronpaulinstitute.org/archives/featured-articles/2022/may/16/mitch-mcconnell-name-russia-state-sponsor-of-terrorism/
There are millions included for multiple Inspectors General, alongside special US Congressional Oversight and surely routine oversight for pre-existing programs, meaning that Rand Paul is deceiving the public:
You must be logged in to post a comment.