Bill Summary
This legislation, titled the "Badr Organization Designation Act of 2020", aims to address the growing threat of the Badr Organization, a military group founded in 1983 as the military arm of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq. The Bill requires reports and determinations to be made by the Secretary of State and the Secretary of the Treasury regarding the Badr Organization's involvement in the December 2019 attack on the United States Embassy in Iraq, its human rights violations, and its connections to foreign terrorist groups and the Iranian government. The purpose of these reports is to determine if the Badr Organization should be designated as a foreign terrorist organization and if sanctions should be imposed on the group under Executive Order 13224. Additionally, the legislation prohibits any federal funds from being used to support the Badr Organization. The term "appropriate congressional committees" refers to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.
Possible Impacts
1. The legislation could affect individuals who are affiliated with or support the Badr Organization, as it could lead to their designation as a foreign terrorist organization and the imposition of sanctions against them.
2. The report required by the legislation could potentially impact the strategy and actions of the Badr Organization and their allies, as it would provide information on their involvement in the attack on the US embassy and their connections to foreign terrorist groups.
3. The prohibition on federal funding to support the Badr Organization could impact the organization's financial resources and ability to carry out their activities, potentially limiting their influence and reach.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8844 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8844
To require reports and determinations relating to imposition of
sanctions against the Badr Organization, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 3, 2020
Mr. Wilson of South Carolina introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the
Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined
by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as
fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require reports and determinations relating to imposition of
sanctions against the Badr Organization, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Badr Organization Designation Act of
2020''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The Badr Organization, founded in 1983 as the military
arm of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq,
is Iran's oldest and most preeminent proxy in Iraq, a political
party which supported Ayatollah Khomeni's Islamic revolution in
Iran and desired to export it to Iraq.
(2) The Badr Organization is provided training, funding,
and arms by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC),
IRGC-Quds Force, and works closely with Kata'ib Hezbollah (KH),
Lebanese Hezbollah, and Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq (AAH), all of which
have been designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations by the
Department of State.
(3) Reports confirm that on December 31, 2019, Abu Mahdi
al-Mohandes, the now deceased deputy commander of the Popular
Mobilization Force and terrorist leader of Hezbollah, led a mob
of Iranian-backed Iraq militia groups to the United States
Embassy in Iraq and set fire to the building. With him was Badr
Organization leader, Hadi al-Amiri.
(4) The Badr Organization has a history of targeting
Americans and allies in Iraq, committing human rights
violations by killing civilians and summarily executing Sunni
prisoners.
(5) The Badr Organization is a cohesive unit modeled after
Hezbollah, and continues to politically thrive under the Fatah
Alliance made up of other Iranian-backed militias which nearly
have a voting majority.
(6) Leader Hadi al-Amiri is quoted as saying that Supreme
Leader Ali Khameni ``is the leader not only for the Iranians,
but for the Islamic Nation''. Additionally, he described Quds
Force leader Qassem Solemani as his ``dearest friend''.
(7) The Badr Organization deploys forces to Syria to fight
on behalf of the Bashar al-Assad regime, including
participating in the 2016 siege of Aleppo where the United
Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights alleges pro-
government Iraq militia groups executed dozens of civilians.
SEC. 3. REPORT.
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act,
the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional
committees a report on the Badr Organization to include the following:
(1) A description of the Badr Organization and other
Iranian-backed militias and their involvement in the December
2019 attack on the United States Embassy in Iraq.
(2) A assessment of whether United States assistance to the
Popular Mobilization Forces has directly or indirectly
benefitted the Badr Organization.
(3) A description of the Badr Organization's involvement in
human rights violations.
(4) The Badr Organization's connections to foreign
terrorist groups, including an assessment of the links between
the Badr Organization and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard
Corps (IRGC), Hezbollah, Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq (AAH), Kata'ib
Hezbollah (KH), or any other organization designated by the
Department of State as a foreign terrorist organization.
SEC. 4. DETERMINATIONS WITH RESPECT TO THE IMPOSITION OF SANCTIONS
AGAINST THE BADR ORGANIZATION.
(a) Determinations by Secretary of State.--Not later than 90 days
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State
shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a
determination, including a detailed justification, of whether the Badr
Organization meets the criteria for--
(1) designation as a foreign terrorist organization under
section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.
1189); and
(2) imposition of sanctions under section 1263 of the
Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (subtitle F of
title XII of Public Law 114-328; 22 U.S.C. 2656 note).
(b) Determination by Secretary of the Treasury.--Not later than 90
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the
Treasury shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a
determination, including a detailed justification, or whether the Badr
Organization meets the criteria for the imposition of sanctions under
Executive Order 13224 (50 U.S.C. 1701 note; Relating to blocking
property and prohibiting transactions with persons who commit, threaten
to commit, or support terrorism).
(c) Form.--The determinations required by subsections (a) and (b)
shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified
annex.
SEC. 5. PROHIBITION ON FUNDING TO SUPPORT THE BADR ORGANIZATION.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no Federal department
or agency, including the Department of State and the Department of
Defense, may obligate or expend any Federal funds to support the Badr
Organization.
SEC. 6. APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES DEFINED.
In this Act, the term ``appropriate congressional committees''
means the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives
and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.
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