Following a terror attack on an Indian Air Force base in January 2016, US President Barack
Obama urged neighboring Pakistan to “delegitimize, disrupt, and dismantle” its terror networks.
Although in his interview with the Press Trust of India Obama did not directly accuse Pakistan’s
government of sponsoring terrorism, the country has long been accused of harboring and funding
terrorists.
Pakistan did end up being the hiding place for one of the most notorious terrorists in
history, Osama bin Laden.
But perhaps due to necessary relations between the US and Pakistan, the country does not
appear on the US’s official “State Sponsors of Terrorism” list.
In fact, only three countries are currently on that list.
So, which countries does the US accuse of sponsoring terrorism?
Well, since 1979, eight countries have occupied a spot on the State Sponsors of Terrorism
list.
These are: Syria, Libya, Iraq, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan and the former South Yemen.
Five of these countries have since been removed, most recently Cuba in 2015.
That leaves three remaining members: Syria, Iran, and Sudan.
Being on the list means that a number of serious sanctions are levied against the country.
These include various controls and bans on military supplies, including weapons sales.
There are also severe financial restrictions.
Terror sponsoring countries cannot get loans from the World Bank, nor can any US citizen
do business with them without a license from the Treasury department.
The oldest member is Syria, which was one of the first countries added in 1979, and
the only original country to remain on the list.
The designation was sparked by the oppressive rule of Hafez al-Assad.
Today, his son Bashar al-Assad is believed to militarily support Hezbollah in Lebanon,
while terrorist network grow within the currently war-torn Syria.
According to the US state department, this has allowed foreign fighters to enter Iraq,
and possibly led to the formation of ISIS.
The next oldest member is Iran, which was placed on the list in 1984.
Similar to Syria, Iran is believed to support US-designated terrorist groups in Palestine,
including Hezbollah and Hamas.
They are also thought to have funded Iraqi Shia militias in support of the Assad regime,
and even sent Iranian Revolutionary Guard members to Syria.
Multiple senior al-Qaeda members have been allegedly detained in Iran, but their identities
have not been released and Iran has been unwilling to prosecute them.
In fact, the US believes that Iran has allowed al-Qaeda operatives to move fighters and money
into South Asia and Syria.
Finally, war-torn and politically unstable Sudan was added to the list in 1993.
According to the US State Department, affiliates of Hamas have been able to travel and fundraise
in Sudan with no repercussion from the Sudanese government.
Additionally,al-Qaeda inspired groups see high Sudanese membership.
Moreover, multiple men detained in a terrorist training camp, and one involved in the murder
of two US Embassy members, were released by Sudanese authorities.
However, many say that the US’s State Sponsors of Terrorism list is outdated and incomplete.
Critics contend that rather than listing the realistic sources of terrorism, these countries
are simply on the US’s bad side, and weak enough that they are easy to shut out.
Some unlisted countries like Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are more widely considered to
have links between terrorism and government officials, but as they are US-allied, they
are not targeted.
The U.S. has spent billions fighting terrorism around the world.
After over a decade, the government is still paying for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
To learn just how much money has been allocated to the War On Terror, watch our video here.
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