State Department May Designate TV Channel Terrorist
The State Department plans to designate Al Manar television -- the channel of the Lebanon-based anti-Israel extremist group Hezbollah -- a terrorist organization, a U.S. official said Thursday, adding that the designation could be made as early as today.
The United States has already identified Hezbollah as a foreign terrorist group, and the State Department has criticized Al Manar’s programming.
On Monday, a French court ordered Paris-based Eutelsat to shut down Al Manar’s broadcasts after accusations that its programs were anti-Semitic and could incite hatred.
Al Manar obliged voluntarily but said the French decision was political, not legal, and influenced by Israel and Jewish lobbies. It plans to pursue its case to restart broadcasts in France.
A State Department designation may be only the first step. The Treasury could decide to freeze Al Manar’s assets and outlaw financial dealings with it.
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