EU rejects Israeli request to blacklist Hezbollah
The European Union turned down a request Tuesday by Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman to blacklist Hezbollah as a terror group after last week's deadly bombing in Bulgaria.
"There is no consensus for putting Hezbollah on the list of terrorist organisations," said Cypriot Foreign Minister Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis, whose country currently holds the rotating EU presidency.
Israel blames Iran and the Lebanese group Hezbollah for Wednesday's suicide attack at the Black Sea airport of Burgas in which five Israelis and their Bulgarian driver died.
But an EU decision would require the unanimous approval of all its 27 members.
Sitting beside the Cypriot minister at a news conference held after annual EU-Israel talks, Lieberman said: "The time has come to put Hezbollah on the terrorist list of Europe."
"It would give the right signal to the international community and the Israeli people."
But Kozakou-Marcoullis said Hezbollah was an organisation comprising a party as well as an armed wing and was "active in Lebanese politics".
"Taking into account this and other aspects there is no consensus for putting Hezbollah on the list of terrorist organisations," she said.
The EU would consider this if there were tangible evidence of Hezbollah engaging in acts of terror, she added.
Lieberman said Israel was continuing to compile evidence from the Bulgaria attack and would onpass proof to the EU.
But in Israel, Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor told AFP that "for years we have been providing Europe with information on Hezbollah's direct involvement in terror attacks.
"But certain states in the EU have clarified to us that because of political reasons, they prefer to not add Hezbollah to the list, despite them not disputing the evidence."
*from Yahoo News
Is that a joke or what?
Not surprised.
If after all these years the EU hasn't changed its policy then why should it change because of 5 dead Jews and a dead Muslim... even though this did happen within the EU.
Just hope they understand that the "cannibals" especially enjoy the taste of those who lack a backbone.
Well there is still no prove that they had anything to do with it, is there?Originally Posted by EITAN88
Even so, there is reason enough to blacklist Hezbollah.
Wait and see brother, wait and see
Nothing that has been made public yet.
However a Hizbollah operative planning an attack of the same nature in Cyprus (also part of the EU) just happened to be caught around the same time.
The article makes it clear enough that this is a political issue more than one that revolves around facts and evidence.
no surprise here - I have the view that the EU is generally busy pleasing everyone and not doing what is right.
This will bite the EU in the leg in the future.
Did Thailand or India broke of diplomatic relationship with Iran, just because they send agents with bombs to murder people
on its soil?
ok, so compare a Tiny terrorist organisation to a huge oil/ terror exporting country like Iran which has a great strategic impact on the region ? wow!
Well, last time, even though EU parliament passed resolution which urged EU Council to list HA as terrorist organization, France, Spain, and Britain blocked it. That is problem with EU - consensus.
Ha. Hardly surprised to see France as one of them.
Tiny? Are you for real? It's one of the biggest and best armed organization around with connections around the world and armed forces bigger than some countries.
Warder
Not to mention England, could you I again the rioting if it did?
Warder
well, they are tiny compare to their master, Iran (and that was the point) don't you think? all that weaponry and connections are nothing if Iran is not backing them up, lets see how strong they are when the regime in Damascus falls...
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