TEMPO.CO, London - The European Union has declared the military wing of Hezbollah to be a terrorist organization in a major victory for British diplomacy and William Hague, the Foreign Secretary.
The Lebanese right wing organization is considered to be behind the Burgas bombing in Bulgaria that killed five Israelis and a Bulgarian driver last year.
The Hague greeted this announcement with joy and said that including the Hezbollah on the list of terrorist organizations is a "top priority" for the UK.
"In reaching this agreement, the EU has sent a clear message that it stands united against terrorism. It shows that no organization can carry out terrorist acts on European soil, such as the appalling attack in Bulgaria one year ago, without facing the consequences," he said.
However, the decision draws a distinction between Hezbollah’s military wing and the rest of the organization. EU countries will still be able to have links with Hezbollah’s political leadership and European aid to Lebanon’s government will be unaffected. Officials will compile a list of Europe-based individuals and organizations that will be blacklisted over the next two weeks.
EU ministers have long been deliberating this matter following the UK’s persistent lobbying of Germany, France and Sweden to include Hezbollah on their blacklist of terrorist organizations.
A key factor behind the new policy was Hezbollah’s intervention in Syria’s civil war on the side of President Bashar al-Assad. The decision was taken unanimously by all 28 EU members, but Spain, Italy and others countries have reservations. They fear a potentially destabilizing impact on Lebanese politics.
Lebanon’s interim government opposes the EU decision. Some countries fear the blacklisting could endanger European troops serving in United Nations peacekeeping missions in Lebanon and the Golan Heights.
The US has included Hezbollah on its blacklist of terrorists since October 1997 following a stream of attacks, including the bombing of the American Embassy and marine barracks in Beirut in the 1980s. Israel, which declared Hezbollah a terrorist group in 1989, welcomed the EU’s decision.
"Finally, after years of deliberation, the claim that Hezbollah is a legitimate political party has rightfully failed," said Israel's Justice Minister Tzipi Livni. "Now it is clear to the entire world that Hezbollah is a terrorist organization."
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