US Senate Committee to recognize Russia a state sponsor of terrorism

In a resolution approved on June 23, the Committee called for Russia to be recognized as a sponsor of terrorism.

It is reported by Voice of America.

According to the chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Republican Senator James Risch, the resolution is expected to receive strong support during the Senate vote and this will be an argument for the State Department.

“If the United States recognizes a country as a sponsor of terrorism, there will be many consequences. A good example is Iran. There is no doubt that Russia, led by Vladimir Putin, is a state sponsor of terrorism. The act he committed by ordering an offensive into Ukraine was a terrorist act. He is a war criminal, and he is responsible for every crime committed in his name, every act of destruction, every act of murder, and everything that was committed in Ukraine, on his responsibility. He is a war criminal. And we need to give a strong signal to the world – how we feel about the horrific things that he does," Risch said.

Earlier, Ukrainian officials called the world community to recognize Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. The correspondent resolution was registered in the Senate on May 10 by senators from both parties, Democrat Richard Blumenthal and Republican Lindsey Graham. Republican Joe Wilson and Democrat Ted Lee introduced a similar text in the House of Representatives on May 12.

So far, this is just a resolution supported by the Committee. The final decision would be made by the Executive Office of the President.

“State Sponsors of Terrorism” is a designation applied by the US State Department to countries which the Department alleges to have “repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism”. Nowadays the list consists of Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria. Countries formerly on the list were Iraq, Libya, South Yemen and Sudan.

Author - Andrew Klark, 24/06/2022