Eichhorst Shies Away from Revealing Effects of EU Decision on Hizbullah

European Union Ambassador to Lebanon Angelina Eichhorst has stopped short of revealing the effects of an EU decision to put Hizbullah's military wing on its list of terrorist organizations.

In an interview with the Saudi al-Yaum daily published on Tuesday, Eichhorst said the main reason for EU's decision in July was the deadly bombing that targeted Israeli tourists in Bulgaria a year earlier.

An unidentified bomber blew himself up near an Israeli-packed tourist bus at the airport in Burgas, a popular Black Sea destination, on July 18, 2012, killing five tourists, their Bulgarian driver and himself.

Bulgaria has said that the bomber was helped by two Lebanese-born Australian and Canadian passport holders with links to the military wing of Hizbullah.

However, the EU ambassador insisted that it's not the party that is being sanctioned, saying the EU only targeted its military wing without giving names.

But Eichhorst did not answer a question as to what the EU had achieved through its decision particularly that Hizbullah fighters continue to help troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad in the battle against rebels.

Asked about the fragile situation in the northern city of Tripoli, the ambassador said: “What's happening in Tripoli is a reflection of what's going on in Lebanon in general.”

“It is the duty of the Lebanese state and officials to protect this city and its residents,” she told her interviewer.

“It has become essential to use the funds (appropriated by the sate for the city) and to implement the security plan,” she said.

Eichhorst told al-Yaum that despite reports about the involvement of foreign parties in Lebanon, “the state and politicians should carry out their responsibilities and should be willing to put an end to the tense situation in Tripoli.”

She expressed surprise at the failure to form a new government “after the painful incidents that shook Lebanon,” such as the recent car bombings in Tripoli and Beirut's southern suburbs.