Germany’s no stranger to totalitarian regimes and murderous factions.

You may have heard of a group, in fact, that followed Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s preferred economic system, say, 75 or so years ago (here and here).

It’s surprising, therefore, that the previous home of a painter named Adolf is refusing to declare Hezbollah a terrorist group. So much for lessons learned.

As reported by Reuters:

Germany will not follow Britain’s lead in declaring Iran-backed Hezbollah a terrorist organization, a senior official was quoted as saying on Friday, a decision that may fuel tensions with Saudi Arabia and the United States.

Minister of State Niels Annen told weekly news magazine Der Spiegel that the Shi’ite Muslim Islamist movement remained a relevant factor in Lebanese society and the European Union had already added its military wing to a list of proscribed groups in 2013. …

Long the most powerful group in Lebanon, Hezbollah’s influence has expanded at home and in the region. It controls three of 30 ministries in the government led by Western-backed Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri, the largest number ever.

Previously, the UK had categorized Hezbollah into “military” and “political” wings. But last month, that grouping was replaced by a recognition of the Shi’ite supremacist lot as full-on terrorists.

Rooted in Iran, Hezbollah has significantly extended its reach over the years, as was noted in 2017 by Politico:

[“Operation Cassandra” was] launched in 2008 after the Drug Enforcement Administration amassed evidence that Hezbollah had transformed itself from a Middle East-focused military and political organization into an international crime syndicate that some investigators believed was collecting $1 billion a year from drug and weapons trafficking, money laundering and other criminal activities.

Sounds like a swell buncha folks.

I suppose every country has its deadly elements, rising from the mist. Currently, the U.S. has the legislatures of New York and Virginia (here and here).

-Alex

Relevant RedState links in this article: here, here, here, and here.

See 3 more pieces from me: LA vs. the NRA, Jim Brown vs. kneeling, and Bill Gates vs. not being disconnected.

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