MaxShimba
Platinum Member
- Apr 11, 2008
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Two of Europes most powerful countries, Britain and Germany, have thrown their weight behind a push for the European Union to designate the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, a move that could have far-reaching consequences for the groups fund-raising activities on the Continent.
On Wednesday, Germany signaled an about-face in its policy toward the group, with a statement saying that Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle supported listing at least the military wing of the organization as a terrorist group. The announcement came just a day after Britains Foreign Office said it would pursue doing the same, promising to work closely with our European partners on this issue to reach a robust, collective E.U. position.
If approved, such a move could choke off sources of funds from Hezbollahs members and sympathizers throughout Europe, at a time when the groups image as a liberation movement has already suffered because Hezbollah fighters are battling in Syria on behalf of the government there.
The United States and Israel have long urged their European allies to list the organization either in whole or in part as a terrorist group. But pressure has grown substantially since a bombing last July in Bulgaria killed five Israeli tourists and a Bulgarian bus driver. Bulgarian officials have said Hezbollah was behind the attack, which the group denies.
Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/23/w...push-to-list-hezbollah-as-a-terror-group.html
On Wednesday, Germany signaled an about-face in its policy toward the group, with a statement saying that Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle supported listing at least the military wing of the organization as a terrorist group. The announcement came just a day after Britains Foreign Office said it would pursue doing the same, promising to work closely with our European partners on this issue to reach a robust, collective E.U. position.
If approved, such a move could choke off sources of funds from Hezbollahs members and sympathizers throughout Europe, at a time when the groups image as a liberation movement has already suffered because Hezbollah fighters are battling in Syria on behalf of the government there.
The United States and Israel have long urged their European allies to list the organization either in whole or in part as a terrorist group. But pressure has grown substantially since a bombing last July in Bulgaria killed five Israeli tourists and a Bulgarian bus driver. Bulgarian officials have said Hezbollah was behind the attack, which the group denies.
Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/23/w...push-to-list-hezbollah-as-a-terror-group.html
