US lawmakers increase pressure on EU to label Hizbullah a terror group

US lawmakers increase pressure on EU to label Hizbullah a terror group
European officials warn change of policy may further destabilize Lebanon
Source: AP/Compiled by Daily Star, 21-6-2007
US lawmakers are stepping up pressure on the European Union to declare Hizbullah a terrorist organization. A House of Representatives panel highlighted on Wednesday the importance of Europe as a fundraising base for the group, long a target of US and "Israeli" ire.
A number of European nations have resisted an EU designation of Hizbullah as a terror organization, arguing that it is better to engage the group, given Hizbullah`s large role in Lebanese politics.
Hizbullah refused to comment on the initiative Wednesday. A Hizbullah spokesman told The Daily Star the party would not issue any reactions "before we study the issue more closely."
European officials have argued that changing policy on Hizbullah could affect the political balance in Lebanon and further destabilize the country.
The latest motion by members of Congress to pressure the EU comes as Hizbullah continues to confront the Western-backed government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.
The US government has considered Hizbullah a foe since the 1980s and has used the decade-old terrorist designation to seize assets and freeze Hizbullah out of the US financial system.
While the Bush administration once signaled that it might soften the US stance as the group participated in Lebanese elections, that was before Hizbullah captured two "Israeli" soldiers last July 12, prompting "Israel" to launch a 34-day war, and before Hizbullah stepped up a campaign last fall to demand more power in the Lebanese government. The Bush administration has also accused the group of helping train Shiite militia fighters in Iraq. It has offered no evidence to support these accusations.
Some members of Congress say countries standing in the way of a necessary unanimous vote by the 27-member EU should reconsider, because of what they say are fading hopes that Hizbullah will play a constructive role in Lebanon`s wobbly democracy.
"What many of us here are arguing is that Europe must recognize the tremendously dangerous role Hizbullah plays and should include them on their list," said Democratic Representative Robert Wexler, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs` subcommittee on Europe that organized Wednesday`s hearing.
Hizbullah has significant presence in some European states, and experts say its operations on the continent are essential for its financing. A designation by the EU would require member-nations to freeze the group`s assets held in their jurisdictions.
"An EU ban on Hizbullah could have a significant impact, particularly in terms of its ability to use Europe as a fundraising and recruiting base," said Michael Jacobson, a former Bush administration treasury official.
Jacobson, now a senior fellow at the Stein Program on Terrorism, Intelligence and Policy at the Washington Institute, a pro-"Israeli" think tank, testified at Wednesday`s hearing.
The EU Parliament passed a resolution to "take all necessary steps to curtail" Hizbullah. But the measure was nonbinding on the EU Council, which would have to approve a terrorist-group designation.
Jacobson said that while many European countries openly support labeling Hizbullah a (so-called) `terrorist` group, efforts to pressure the EU are complicated because it is not clear how many countries are blocking the move.
Under EU rules, a unanimous vote is needed to designate a terrorist organization, and deliberations happen behind closed doors. However, Paris has in the past argued openly against the designation.