Hezbollah Dismisses EU Terror Designation
"After months of consultations and deliberate consideration, the European Union decided to*designate Hezbollah's military wing as a "terror entity."*As predicted in*Al-Monitor*in February 2013, the Europeans*adopted the*British approach to the organization, wherein a distinction is made between its military and political bodies to allow for future contacts with the Lebanese group's political leaders...."
"In a*statement, Hezbollah expressed “its firm rejection to the EU's decision to set [the] 'military wing' on the list of terrorism,” adding that it regards the move as an “aggressive and unjust decision that has no justification and is not based on any proof.” The group also asserted, “it looks as if the decision was written by American hands and with 'Israeli' ink, while the EU only had to add its signature in approval.” Apparently keen to differentiate between the EU decision and the people of Europe, it stressed that the decision does not “reflect the EU people's interests” and “contradicts with its values and aspirations that support the principles of freedom and independence..." "Hezbollah's perspective on the British approach is instructive in understanding how it sees the implications of putting the group's "military wing" on the EU terror list. Although here have been no direct meetings between British and Hezbollah officials, messages have been passed through mutual friends, and until now, most Hezbollah MPs, ministers and officials who applied for entry visas to the United Kingdom were permitted entry.*One source commented on the situation, thusly: "The Brits know well that we have nothing to do in London, neither now nor in the future." He continued, "The British are good at compromises, whereas a decision on something can be taken, and those pushing for it can feel content, and those who are supposed to be the victims will feel no difference. …*This is what they did, and what they pushed the EU to do."
Hezbollah Dismisses EU Terror Designation - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East What my response to the EU action is to laugh. What is funny about the EU action is there is no military arm of Hezbollah, labelling an organization a terrorist organization that does not even exist is certainly something one can laugh about. Sherri