Political Quotes

“the name ``Hezbollah'' has become increasingly familiar in recent years to Americans as one of Iran's main proxy groups committed to the destruction of Israel and even the United States. Beyond the horrific bombings of the U.S. Embassy and marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, in the 1980s, many of us now associate the name with Iran, of course, which has been the principal financial supporter of Hezbollah, to the tune of 70 to 90 percent of its budget. In return, Hezbollah acts as one of Iran's proxies in the so-called Axis of Resistance. We all know that Hezbollah is one of the terror groups in the Middle East, responsible for numerous violent attacks over the past several decades. But lesser known is their influence in the Americas-- specifically in Latin America. Perhaps lesser known is the broad extent of Hezbollah's activities in the Western Hemisphere, which includes illicit drug trafficking and other criminal enterprises. Hezbollah uses these activities to generate cash to help finance terrorism back home in the Middle East. So while many in the West are focused on Iran's proxy terrorism around the world, we cannot afford to ignore our own backyard. Last week, I chaired a hearing for the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control to examine the role that terrorist networks played in creating the drug crisis that we face here in the United States, which has taken hundreds of thousands of lives over recent years.”