EU ministers place military wing of Hezbollah on terror blacklist

European Union governments decide to blacklist the military wing of Lebanese militant group on EU terror list, according to diplomats, in major policy reversal fueled by concerns over the movement's activities in Europe.

BRUSSELS, July 22 (Reuters) - European Union governments agreed on Monday to put the armed wing of Hezbollah on the EU terrorism blacklist in a reversal of past policy fuelled by concerns over the Lebanese militant movement's activities in Europe.
Britain and the Netherlands have pressed EU peers since May to put the Shi'ite Muslim group's military wing on the bloc's terrorism list, citing evidence it was behind a bus bombing in Bulgaria last year which killed five Israelis and their driver.


Until now, the EU had resisted pressure from Washington and Israel to blacklist Hezbollah, arguing such a move could fuel instability in Lebanon, where the group is part of the government, and add to tensions in the Middle East.
But evidence from Bulgaria about the attack and concerns over Hezbollah's growing involvement in the war in Syria persuaded opponents to back the move, which triggers the freezing of any assets the group's armed wing may hold in the 28-nation EU.
"It is good that the EU has decided to call Hezbollah what it is: a terrorist organisation," Dutch Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans said on the sidelines of a meeting of EU foreign ministers who decided on the blacklisting.
"We took this important step today, by dealing with the military wing of Hezbollah, freezing its assets, hindering its fundraising and thereby limiting its capacity to act."
According to London-based Arabic newspaper Al-Hayat, four countries had previously had reservations about the proposal to blacklist Hezbollah - the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Ireland and Malta. 

Lebanese Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour, told Al-Hayat that if the four countries that oppose persist in their position, the decision will not pass because it requires a consensus of the 28 states."
"The reasons for the resistance of those countries is due to fear of the consequences of the decision in the Lebanese domestic arena, but also regarding Lebanon's relations with Europe," Mansour stated.
The foreign minister added that the states that vote to blacklist Hezbollah are "seeking to respond to Israeli pressure," and in an attempt to strike a balance after the recent EU directives banning cooperation with Israeli entities beyond the Green Line.
Britain has sought to persuade its EU peers since May to put the Shi'ite Muslim group's military wing on the bloc's terrorism list, citing evidence that it was behind a deadly bus bombing in Bulgaria last year.
Until now, the EU has resisted pressure from Washington and Israel to blacklist Hezbollah, arguing that it could fuel instability in Lebanon, where the group is part of the government, and add to tensions in the Middle East.
Blacklisting the military wing means the freezing of any assets it may hold in the 28-nation bloc, though officials say there is scant information on the extent of Hezbollah's presence in Europe or on its assets.

Britain, backed by France and the Netherlands among others, has argued that Hezbollah's growing involvement in the Syrian war means Lebanon is already in a fragile situation and that the EU must weigh the possibility of future attacks in Europe.

REASSURANCES
To soothe worries that sanctions against Hezbollah could complicate the EU's relations with the Lebanese government, EU governments are also likely to issue a statement pledging to continue dialogue with all political groupings in the country.
"A few member states wanted to be reassured that such a decision will not in any way jeopardize political dialogue," the senior EU official said.
Some EU diplomats, responding to concerns that sanctions could further radicalise the group, have argued that targeting the military wing could, in the long term, persuade some of its members to move away from violence into the political sphere.
Hezbollah denies any involvement in last July's attack in the Bulgarian coastal resort of Bourgas that killed five Israelis and their driver.
But the Bulgarian interior minister said last week that Sofia had no doubt the group was behind it.
In support of its bid to impose sanctions, Britain has also cited a four-year jail sentence handed down by a Cypriot court in March to a Hezbollah member accused of plotting to attack Israeli interests on the island.
Hezbollah was set up in Damascus by Iran in 1982 with the aim of fighting Israel after its invasion of Lebanon.
Its involvement in the Syrian conflict is widely seen as a major factor helping President Bashar Assad to withstand a two-year popular uprising led by the Sunni Muslim majority against his rule.

 http://www.jpost.com
22/7/13 
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