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European Union Adds Hezbollah to Terror List European Union Adds Military Wing of Hezbollah to List of Terrorist Groups
(about 1 hour later)
BRUSSELS — The European Union on Monday added the military wing of Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite militant group, to a list of terrorist organizations, a policy shift that was welcomed by the United States and Israel despite questions about its overall effects. BRUSSELS — The military wing of Hezbollah, the powerful Lebanese Shiite group, was blacklisted by European Union ministers as a terrorist organization on Monday in a policy shift that reflected their concern about Hezbollah’s suspected involvement in Europe-based bombings and its growing role in the Syria war.
The accompanying sanctions are expected to include asset freezes and possible travel bans on some individuals, which could initially represent little more than political embarrassment for Hezbollah. But some sanctions experts said the policy shift set a precedent that could compromise Hezbollah’s fund-raising operations. The blacklisting designation was welcomed by the United States and Israel, which have long regarded Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. Hezbollah and Iran, the group’s biggest ally, denounced the designation as a capitulation to United States and Israeli pressure. “It appears that the decision was written with an American hand in Zionist ink,” Hezbollah said in a statement from Beirut.
Europe has been an important financial conduit for Hezbollah, Lebanon’s most powerful political party, which has been implicated in attacks on Israelis abroad, maintains an arsenal of rockets trained at Israel and has come to the aid of Syria’s government in its effort to crush an uprising now in its third year. The immediate practical effects of the new designation were not clear, but symbolically at least they were an embarrassment to Hezbollah, the most important political organization in Lebanon. Many Lebanese expressed concern the designation would damage Lebanon’s international relations and worsen internal tensions, and Lebanon’s President, Michel Suleiman, asked the European Union to “re-examine its decision,” Lebanese media reported..
The shift in policy toward Hezbollah, announced by European Union foreign ministers at a meeting in Brussels, comes as the United States is trying to broker a new round of talks in the Middle East peace process that could start in the next week or so. The sanctions that result from the European Union designation are expected to include asset freezes and possible travel bans on some individuals. But some sanctions experts said the policy shift set a precedent that over time could compromise Hezbollah’s fund-raising operations.
The shift also has the effect of bringing the European Union more into line with the American approach to the region, after the European Union infuriated Israel last week by slapping it with financing restrictions to push the Israelis to resolve their conflict with the Palestinians. Europe has been an important financial conduit for Hezbollah,, which has been implicated in attacks on Israelis abroad, maintains an arsenal of rockets trained at Israel and has come to the aid of Syria’s government in its effort to crush an uprising now in its third year.
The shift in policy toward Hezbollah, announced by European Union foreign ministers at a meeting in Brussels, comes as the United States is trying to broker new talks in the Israeli-Palestinian Middle East peace process that could start in the next week or so.
“It is good that the E.U. has decided to call Hezbollah what it is: a terrorist organization,” Frans Timmermans, the foreign minister of the Netherlands, said in a statement. He said the move would have the effect of “limiting its capacity to act.”“It is good that the E.U. has decided to call Hezbollah what it is: a terrorist organization,” Frans Timmermans, the foreign minister of the Netherlands, said in a statement. He said the move would have the effect of “limiting its capacity to act.”
European diplomats said government experts would need a day or more to agree on how to phrase language to punish only the armed wing of Hezbollah and not its other operations, which run schools, clinics, hospitals and charitable fund-raising activities.European diplomats said government experts would need a day or more to agree on how to phrase language to punish only the armed wing of Hezbollah and not its other operations, which run schools, clinics, hospitals and charitable fund-raising activities.
That declaration is expected to affirm that the union’s authorities will maintain contacts with all political parties in Lebanon, including Hezbollah, and that “legitimate financial transfers” to Lebanon can continue, the diplomats said.That declaration is expected to affirm that the union’s authorities will maintain contacts with all political parties in Lebanon, including Hezbollah, and that “legitimate financial transfers” to Lebanon can continue, the diplomats said.
Asked about the effectiveness of the measures, Catherine Ashton, the European Union’s top foreign policy official, said at a news conference that “of course it’s partly a political signal.”Asked about the effectiveness of the measures, Catherine Ashton, the European Union’s top foreign policy official, said at a news conference that “of course it’s partly a political signal.”
In commending the designation, Secretary of State John Kerry said the European Union had sent “a strong message to Hezbollah that it cannot operate with impunity.” Mr. Kerry also asserted that the designation would “have a significant impact on Hezbollah’s ability to operate freely in Europe by enabling law enforcement agencies to crack down on Hezbollah’s fund-raising, logistical activity, and terrorist plotting on European soil.”In commending the designation, Secretary of State John Kerry said the European Union had sent “a strong message to Hezbollah that it cannot operate with impunity.” Mr. Kerry also asserted that the designation would “have a significant impact on Hezbollah’s ability to operate freely in Europe by enabling law enforcement agencies to crack down on Hezbollah’s fund-raising, logistical activity, and terrorist plotting on European soil.”
But complicating the application of the decision is the intense secrecy surrounding Hezbollah’s military activities. While the group’s political leaders are well known, its fighters hide their affiliation, sometimes even from their own families. The identities of the group’s highest ranking military commanders usually become publicly known only after their deaths.But complicating the application of the decision is the intense secrecy surrounding Hezbollah’s military activities. While the group’s political leaders are well known, its fighters hide their affiliation, sometimes even from their own families. The identities of the group’s highest ranking military commanders usually become publicly known only after their deaths.
“There are some distinctions within Hezbollah itself,” William Hague, the British foreign secretary, told reporters while leaving the meeting. “They do have a political council and a military or military-equivalent council.” But, he added, “that’s not to say that is exactly the neat distinction that can be made.”
Hezbollah did not offer any immediate public reaction. But Al Manar, its television network, reported the decision as a sign of European submission to pressure from the United States and Israel, which have long listed the group as a terrorist organization and have urged the European bloc’s members to follow suit.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel welcomed the move, but implied criticism that it was addressed only to Hezbollah’s militant wing.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel welcomed the move, but implied criticism that it was addressed only to Hezbollah’s militant wing.
“As far as the State of Israel is concerned, Hezbollah is one organization, the arms of which are indistinguishable,” he said in a statement. “I hope that the implementation of the decision will lead to tangible steps against the organization.”“As far as the State of Israel is concerned, Hezbollah is one organization, the arms of which are indistinguishable,” he said in a statement. “I hope that the implementation of the decision will lead to tangible steps against the organization.”
Britain began to campaign actively for the designation after a terrorist attack in Bulgaria a year ago, which killed five Israeli tourists and their Bulgarian driver, and the conviction in March of a Hezbollah operative in Cyprus for plotting a similar attack.Britain began to campaign actively for the designation after a terrorist attack in Bulgaria a year ago, which killed five Israeli tourists and their Bulgarian driver, and the conviction in March of a Hezbollah operative in Cyprus for plotting a similar attack.
The decision, which required the approval of all 28 members of the European Union, “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,” Mr. Hague said. “European nations have rightly come together in response.”The decision, which required the approval of all 28 members of the European Union, “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,” Mr. Hague said. “European nations have rightly come together in response.”
Support for the sanctions grew in recent months partly because of Hezbollah’s aid to President Bashar al-Assad of Syria in his military campaign against the insurgency.Support for the sanctions grew in recent months partly because of Hezbollah’s aid to President Bashar al-Assad of Syria in his military campaign against the insurgency.
To make the decision possible, Ireland and Austria were among the countries that dropped their opposition. Both countries have peacekeepers in the Middle East patrolling cease-fire zones like those separating Israel from Lebanon and Syria. To make the decision possible, Ireland and Austria were among the countries that dropped their opposition. Both countries have peacekeepers in the Middle East. Those countries were wary of destabilizing Lebanon by cracking down on militant elements like Hezbollah, and of eroding their own influence on events there.
Those countries were wary of destabilizing Lebanon by cracking down on militant elements like Hezbollah, and of eroding their own influence on events there. Italy also was wary of the decision because it has significant numbers of peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, and European diplomats said the country went along with the decision to maintain unity in the bloc’s foreign policy.
Italy also was wary of the decision because it has significant numbers of peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, and the European diplomats said the country went along with the decision to maintain unity in the bloc’s foreign policy.
Following the decision, Mr. Hague, the British foreign secretary, sought to reassure other member states that support for Lebanon, including significant aid payments, would remain intact.Following the decision, Mr. Hague, the British foreign secretary, sought to reassure other member states that support for Lebanon, including significant aid payments, would remain intact.
“Designation will do nothing to affect the E.U.'s and the U.K.'s strong relationship with and support for Lebanon,” Mr. Hague said. “The U.K. remains deeply committed to Lebanon’s stability.” Kamel Wazne, a Lebanese analyst and director of the Beirut-based Center for American Strategic Studies, said that by designating only the military wing of Hezbollah, the Europeans appeared to want to maintain dialogue with others in the group, including members of Parliament and the cabinet. He doubted such a strategy would work.
Kamel Wazne, a Lebanese analyst and director of the Beirut-based Center for American Strategic Studies, said that by designating only the military wing of Hezbollah, the Europeans appeared to want to maintain dialogue with others in the group, including members of Parliament and the cabinet. He doubted that such a strategy would work.
“This probably closed some of that dialogue because in my estimate Hezbollah will say, ‘We don’t have a military wing or a political wing; we have one party,'   " he said. “This will complicate the situation.”
Others called the European Union’s action a significant setback for Hezbollah, partly because it could provide the United States with a new legal basis for strengthening its own sanctions against Hezbollah’s commercial and fund-raising activities in a way that could then pressure the Europeans to do the same.Others called the European Union’s action a significant setback for Hezbollah, partly because it could provide the United States with a new legal basis for strengthening its own sanctions against Hezbollah’s commercial and fund-raising activities in a way that could then pressure the Europeans to do the same.
The toughened European sanctions against Iran, including an oil boycott, evolved in the same way under American pressure, said Mark Dubowitz, the executive director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, an advocacy group in Washington that supports sanctions. The toughened European sanctions against Iran, including an oil boycott, evolved in the same way under American pressure, said Mark Dubowitz, executive director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a group in Washington that supports sanctions. “Today’s military designation was a powerful symbolic blow,” Mr. Dubowitz said. “It hasn’t been a death blow. But it’s certainly laid an important predicate.”
“Today’s military designation was a powerful symbolic blow,” Mr. Dubowitz said. “It hasn’t been a death blow. But it’s certainly laid an important predicate.”

James Kanter reported from Brussels, and Jodi Rudoren from Jerusalem. Reporting was contributed by Ben Hubbard from Beirut, Lebanon; Michael R. Gordon and Michael D. Shear from Washington; Thomas Erdbrink from Tehran; and Rick Gladstone from New York.

James Kanter reported from Brussels, and Jodi Rudoren from Jerusalem. Reporting was contributed by Ben Hubbard from Beirut, Lebanon; Michael D. Shear from Washington; and Rick Gladstone from New York.