Divided EU in Fresh Talks on Blacklisting Hizbullah
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
European Union nations are divided going into fresh talks this week on whether to add the military wing of Hizbullah to its list of "terrorist" groups, diplomatic sources said Monday.
EU ambassadors are set to discuss the issue on Thursday after counter-terrorist experts from the bloc's 28 member states twice failed last month to reach a unanimous decision to blacklist the party.
Unanimity is required to add Hizbullah to the dozen people and score of groups currently on the EU international "terrorist" list and subject to an asset freeze -- including Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas and Colombia's FARC guerrillas.
EU diplomats speaking on condition of anonymity said Austria, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Malta and Slovakia had not signed on so far to a push led by Britain, France and the Netherlands to blacklist the group.
A diplomat from a country supporting the move said a "consensus is clearly building" given that "the evidence that it committed terrorism on EU soil is strong".
But others were not so sure. One EU source said the new Czech foreign minister had offered no indication so far of Prague changing its mind, and a diplomat said Austria was still mulling the issue.
Concerns over Hizbullah have mounted in Europe since an attack last year on Israeli tourists in Bulgaria which Sofia blamed on the party.
In March, a Cyprus court sentenced a Hizbullah member to four years behind bars for planning attacks there.
Hizbullah's growing involvement in the Syrian conflict in recent months has further worried EU nations.
Should ambassadors fail again to reach agreement this week, the matter could go to foreign ministers who gather on Monday in Brussels.
EU counter-terror specialists first met on the issue on June 4 but failed to reach unanimity after several countries objected that this could destabilize Lebanon.
Hizbullah has been on a U.S. "terror" blacklist since 1995.
Britain and the Netherlands are the only EU nations to have placed Hizbullah on their own lists of "terrorist" groups.
15 July 2013, 21:15
37
the EU is all about BS, I know this first hand. They forced president Morales t land in Vienna.... Because Obama asks them to do so (yet against their own interests) and when its about doing something good.... They are divided. They just flash the cash and take my taxpayer money to corrupt politicians in Lebanon and elsewhere.
15 July 2013, 23:13
17
:) iranpatriot: yes, Shia heritage and phoenician ancestry :)) I thought you were in New York?:)
15 July 2013, 23:58
14
Ya khayeh why arguing with idiots like lebpatriot1 anymore? Logically debating these blinded trolls is useless. We have tried since Rafik Harriri was assassinated to fight them with the pen and logic but it's useless. Obviously militarily the rest of Lebanon is NO match to Hizbullah and the Lebanese army is to say the least controlled by them, so why kid our selves anymore? Why continue resisting the inevitable and prolonging the misery which is intentionally put in place to keep them afloat?
15 July 2013, 23:58
23
Surrender to them. Yes, I know it's crazy but just surrender, disable the government and all political parties and involvement allow Hizbullah and Aoun complete hegemony over the state, collapse the Lebanese army or make it a wing of the "resistance" and have them run the country for 5-10 years. Let them change Lebanon to Hizbnation and lets watch them destroy Lebanon economically and once they are finished and TRUST me they will be FINISHED. We will come back and rebuild this country in a democratic peaceful way. This country has been destroyed MANY times but the Lebanese will have always been able to rebuild the country stronger and better, and I'm sure we can one more time.
15 July 2013, 23:58
13
It's just the idea of us continuously lingering on the edge of the abyss and struggling like we are being pulled toward a black hole and trying so hard to go against the current is simply prolonging the painful suffering. Let "hizbpatriot1" have her way, let her enjoy the ninja dress that'll replace her bikini and see how she'll be coming to NYC next.
16 July 2013, 00:11
10
ex-coma, we fought them and have already lost who are we kidding? All our intelligent leaders except a handful have been assassinated and what is left is either in exile or under house arrest (I do not consider Saad Harriri as an intelligent leader). This is not giving up, this is us living to fight another day. I do not see ANY potential way anymore of us going out of this Terrorist organization hegemony without allowing them to take the spotlights undisputed.
16 July 2013, 01:47
01
It's like calling a man beating his wife a brave man. They are nothing but scum, they can't even be recycled, can't even be used for landfills they would pollute the earth they touch. The World Health Organization should revoke their right to continue consuming air and polluting earth with CO2 with their breathing. Quite frankly I'm not sure what to do with such a scum. TFEH!
16 July 2013, 02:12
01
Yes, I'm a coward and I will never pull a gun on an unarmed civilian. Yes, I'm a coward I will never shoot a man because I disagree with his ideology.
Yes, I'm a coward I will never raise a hand on a woman despite her actions.
What are you though? What would you call a man who kills unarmed civilians because they are against his ideology? What do you call a man who kills politicians with innocent bystanders because they pose a threat to their rule? What do you call a man who goes and fight in another country against the people to keep a dictator in rule?
You are pathetic, you are not worth the energy I spend typing this reply.
16 July 2013, 02:40
02
Show me ONE place I have even said the word "Shia". I don't for a GOOD reason. Now let me see how many times do you sit behind your PC screen and post categorical insults calling Sunni's wahabi's, salafists, cannibals, heart eaters? I don't think I see a SINGLE post of yours that doesn't have this kind of insult.
Al-Qaeda, Al-Nusra, Fadi Shaker are as much of a terrorist organization as your Hizbullah trolls, no longer any of them is as capable of oppressing an entire population as your friends at Hizbullah. I am REALLY surprised they are allowing you in the US.. enjoy it while you can.
