United States Department of State list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations
"Foreign Terrorist Organization" is a designation for non-United States-based organizations deemed by the United States Secretary of State, in accordance with section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, to be involved in what US authorities define as terrorist activities. Most of the organizations on the list are Islamist extremist groups, nationalist/separatist groups, or Marxist militant groups.
The Department of State, along with the U.S. Department of the Treasury, also has the authority to designate individuals and entities as subject to counter-terrorism sanctions according to Executive Order 13224. The Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control maintains a separate list of such individuals and entities.
Identification of candidates
The Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism of the U.S. Department of State continually monitors the activities of groups active around the world to identify targets for the "terrorist" designation. When reviewing potential targets, S/CT looks not only at the actual attacks that a group has carried out, but also at whether the group has engaged in planning and preparations for possible future acts of violence or retains the capability and intent to carry out such acts.Designation process
Once a target is identified, the Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism prepares a detailed "administrative record," which is a compilation of information, typically including both classified and open sources information, demonstrating that the statutory criteria for designation have been satisfied. If the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Treasury, decides to make the designation, the United States Congress is notified of the Secretary's intent to designate the organization and given seven days to review the designation, as the INA requires. Upon the expiration of the seven-day waiting period, notice of the designation is published in the Federal Register, at which point the designation takes effect. An organization designated as an FTO may seek judicial review of the designation in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit not later than 30 days after the designation is published in the Federal Register.Under the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, the FTO may file a petition for revocation two years after the designation date or two years after the determination date on its most recent petition for revocation. In order to provide a basis for revocation, the petitioning FTO must provide evidence that the circumstances forming the basis for the designation are sufficiently different as to warrant revocation. If no such review has been conducted during a five-year period with respect to a designation, then the Secretary of State is required to review the designation to determine whether revocation would be appropriate.
The procedural requirements for designating an organization as an FTO also apply to any redesignation of that organization. The Secretary of State may revoke a designation or redesignation at any time upon a finding that the circumstances that were the basis for the designation or redesignation have changed in such a manner as to warrant revocation, or that the national security of the United States warrants a revocation. The same procedural requirements apply to revocations made by the Secretary of State as apply to designations or redesignations. A designation may also be revoked by an Act of Congress, or set aside by a Court order.
Legal criteria for designation
- It must be a foreign organization.
- The organization must engage in terrorist activity, as defined in section 212 of the INA ),* or terrorism, as defined in section 140 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1988 and 1989 ),** or retain the capability and intent to engage in terrorist activity or terrorism.
- The organization's terrorist activity or terrorism must threaten the security of U.S. nationals or the national security of the United States.
Legal ramifications of designation
- It is unlawful for a person in the United States or subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to knowingly provide "material support or resources" to a designated FTO.
- Representatives and members of a designated FTO, if they are aliens, are inadmissible to and, in certain circumstances, removable from the United States -, 1227 ).
- Any U.S. financial institution that becomes aware that it has possession of or control over funds in which a designated FTO or its agent has an interest must retain possession of or control over the funds and report the funds to the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Other effects of designation
- Supports efforts to curb terrorism financing and to encourage other nations to do the same.
- Stigmatizes and isolates designated terrorist organizations internationally.
- Deters donations or contributions to and economic transactions with named organizations.
- Heightens public awareness and knowledge of terrorist organizations.
- Signals to other governments U.S. concern about named organizations.
Groups designated as FTOs
List is current as of September 24, 2017, organized by region and country of origin:| Date added | Name | Region | Area of operations | Notes |
| October 8, 1997 | Abu Sayyaf Group | Asia | Philippines | |
| October 8, 1997 | Aum Shinrikyo | Asia | Japan | |
| October 8, 1997 | Euskadi Ta Askatasuna | Europe | Spain, France | |
| October 8, 1997 | Gama'a al-Islamiyya | Africa, Middle East | Egypt | |
| October 8, 1997 | Hamas | Middle East | Palestinian Territories | |
| October 8, 1997 | Harakat ul-Mujahidin | Asia | Pakistan | |
| October 8, 1997 | Hezbollah | Middle East | Lebanon | |
| October 8, 1997 | Kahane Chai | Middle East | Israel | |
| October 8, 1997 | Kongra-Gel | Middle East | Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Syria | Formerly PKK, KADEK. . |
| October 8, 1997 | Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam | Asia | Sri Lanka, India | 62 |
| October 8, 1997 | National Liberation Army | South America | Colombia | |
| October 8, 1997 | Palestine Liberation Front | Middle East | Palestinian Territories | |
| October 8, 1997 | Islamic Jihad Group | Middle East | Palestinian Territories | |
| October 8, 1997 | Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine | Middle East | Palestinian Territories | |
| October 8, 1997 | PFLP-General Command | Middle East | Palestinian Territories | |
| October 8, 1997 | Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia | South America | Colombia | |
| October 8, 1997 | Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front | Europe | Turkey | |
| October 8, 1997 | Shining Path | South America | Peru | |
| October 8, 1999 | al-Qa'ida | Worldwide | Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia | |
| September 25, 2000 | Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan | Asia | Uzbekistan, Afghanistan | |
| May 16, 2001 | Real Irish Republican Army | Europe | Ireland, United Kingdom | Associated with 32 County Sovereignty Movement |
| December 26, 2001 | Jaish-e-Mohammed | Asia | Pakistan | |
| December 26, 2001 | Lashkar-e Tayyiba | Asia | Pakistan | |
| March 27, 2002 | Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades | Middle East | Palestinian Territories | |
| March 27, 2002 | Asbat an-Ansar | Middle East | Lebanon | |
| March 27, 2002 | al-Qa'ida in the Islamic Maghreb | Africa, Middle East | Algeria, Mali, Niger | |
| August 9, 2002 | Communist Party of the Philippines/New People's Army | Asia | Philippines | |
| October 23, 2002 | Jemaah Islamiya organization | Asia | Indonesia | Also in Brunei, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Singapore |
| January 30, 2003 | Lashkar i Jhangvi | Asia | Pakistan | - |
| March 22, 2004 | Al-Qaeda Kurdish Battalions | Middle East | Iraq | Formerly Ansar al-Islam |
| July 13, 2004 | Continuity Irish Republican Army | Europe | Ireland, United Kingdom | |
| December 17, 2004 | Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant | Worldwide | Iraq, Syria, Libya, Nigeria | Formerly Jama'at al-Tawhid wa'al-Jihad, JTJ, al-Zarqawi Network. Al-Nusra Front is considered an alias of Al-Qaeda in Iraq |
| June 17, 2005 | Islamic Jihad Union | Asia | Uzbekistan | |
| March 5, 2008 | Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami | Asia | Bangladesh | |
| March 18, 2008 | Al-Shabaab | Africa | Somalia, Yemen | |
| May 18, 2009 | Revolutionary Struggle | Europe | Greece | |
| July 2, 2009 | Kata'ib Hezbollah | Middle East | Iraq | |
| January 19, 2010 | al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula | Middle East | Saudi Arabia | |
| August 6, 2010 | Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami | Asia | Bangladesh | |
| September 1, 2010 | Tehrik-i-Taliban | Asia | Pakistan | |
| November 4, 2010 | Jundallah | Asia | Iran | |
| May 23, 2011 | Army of Islam | Middle East | Palestinian Territories | |
| September 19, 2011 | Indian Mujahideen | Asia | India | |
| September 19, 2011 | Jamaah Ansharut Tauhid | Asia | Indonesia | |
| May 30, 2012 | Abdullah Azzam Brigades | Middle East | Iraq | |
| September 19, 2012 | Haqqani network | Asia | Afghanistan, Pakistan | |
| March 22, 2013 | Ansar Dine | Africa | Mali | |
| November 14, 2013 | Boko Haram | Africa | Nigeria | |
| November 14, 2013 | Ansaru | Africa | Nigeria | |
| December 19, 2013 | al-Mulathamun Brigade | Africa | Algeria | |
| January 13, 2014 | Ansar al-Shari'a in Benghazi | Africa | Libya | |
| January 13, 2014 | Ansar al-Shari'a in Darnah | Africa | Libya | |
| January 13, 2014 | Ansar al-Shari'a in Tunisia | Africa | Tunisia | |
| April 10, 2014 | Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis | Africa, Middle East | Egypt | Also known as ISIL Sinai Province, ISIL SP |
| May 15, 2014 | Al-Nusra Front | Middle East | Syria | |
| August 20, 2014 | Mujahideen Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem | Africa, Middle East | Egypt | |
| September 30, 2015 | Jaysh Rijal al-Tariq al Naqshabandi | Middle East | Iraq | |
| January 14, 2016 | ISIL Khorasan | Asia | Afghanistan | |
| May 19, 2016 | ISIL Libya | Africa | Libya | |
| June 30, 2016 | Al-Qa'ida in the Indian Subcontinent | Asia | Bangladesh, Pakistan | |
| August 16, 2017 | Hizbul Mujahideen | Asia | Kashmir | |
| April 2, 2018 | Milli Muslim League | Asia | Pakistan | Political front of Lashkar-e-Taiba |
| April 15, 2019 | Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps | Asia | Iran | Branch of Iran's military |
Delisted FTOs
The following groups have been removed from the Department of State's list as of June 1, 2017, most due to having been disbanded and thus being no longer active.| Date added | Date removed | Name | Region | Area of operations | Notes |
| October 8, 1997 | October 8, 1999 | DFLP-Hawatmeh Faction | Middle East | Palestinian Territories | |
| October 8, 1997 | October 8, 1999 | Khmer Rouge | Asia | Cambodia | |
| October 8, 1997 | October 8, 1999 | Manuel Rodríguez Patriotic Front – Dissidents | South America | Chile | |
| October 8, 1997 | October 8, 2001 | Japanese Red Army | Asia | Japan | |
| October 8, 1997 | October 8, 2001 | Tupac Amaru Revolution Movement | South America | Peru | |
| October 8, 1997 | October 8, 2001 | Revolutionary Nuclei | Europe | Greece | |
| October 8, 1997 | October 15, 2010 | Armed Islamic Group | Arab World, Africa | Algeria | |
| October 8, 1997 | September 28, 2012 | Mujahedin-e Khalq | Asia, Middle East | Iraq, Iran | |
| October 11, 2005 | May 28, 2013 | Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group | Arab World, Africa | Morocco | |
| September 10, 2001 | July 15, 2014 | United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia | South America | Colombia | |
| October 8, 1997 | September 3, 2015 | Revolutionary Organization 17 November | Europe | Greece | |
| March 27, 2002 | December 9, 2015 | Libyan Islamic Fighting Group | Africa | Libya | |
| October 8, 1997 | June 1, 2017 | Abu Nidal Organization | Middle East | Palestinian Territories |
Criticism
The Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue noted in a 2006 report that third parties play no role in the designation process, and that designated organizations only learn of the designation once it has occurred, with no chance of rebuttal. Listed entities may request reviews, or challenge the listing in court, but success is limited.In April 2014, Noam Chomsky criticized the list, saying:
Controversies
The 2012 delisting of Mujahedin-e Khalq was supported by numerous US lawmakers, and defense and foreign policy officials, but was criticized by the National Iranian American Council. The Treasury Department investigated allegations that payments to former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, on behalf of his lobbying for the MEK, had violated the legal ban on material support for an FTO.In November 2013, the State Department listed the Nigerian terrorist organization Boko Haram as an FTO. In 2014, Republican members of Congress criticized the State Department for not designating the group as an FTO earlier.
In August 2014 the Christian Science Monitor reported that U.S. military was coordinating with Kurdish forces in Iraq, including elements of the PKK, seemed to be in violation of the ban on assistance to a designated FTO.