War on Terrorism - CDI Fact Sheet: Current List of Designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations

Last updated March 27, 2003

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The U.S. State Department’s list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) began in 1997 as a method of tracking and taking action against terrorist groups around the world. FTOs are groups that either engage in or have the capacity or intent to carry out terrorist activity that threatens U.S. nationals or U.S. national security, including efforts to disrupt national defense, foreign relations, or U.S. economic interests. The list provides the United States with the legal basis to prosecute people within its jurisdiction for aiding, through money or other resources, any designated FTO. The United States also has the authority to compel U.S. financial institutions to freeze any assets linked to an FTO, and report them to the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

Below is the current list of FTOs (as of Dec. 30, 2002) with links to the complete series of CDI Spotlight articles on each group. Following that are links to other terrorist lists.

Abu Nidal Organization (ANO)

Abu Sayyaf Group

Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade

Al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya (Islamic Group)

Armed Islamic Group (GIA)

Asbat al-Ansar

Aum Shinrikyo

Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA)

East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM)

HAMAS (Islamic Resistance Movement)

Harakat ul-Mujahidin (HUM)

Hizballah (Party of God)