maven
03-05-2009, 11:39 AM
Britain re-establishing contact with Hezbollah
05/03/2009
LONDON (AP) - Britain is re-establishing contact with the militant group Hezbollah following the formation of a unity government in Lebanon, the British government said Thursday.
The Foreign Office said that it has established contact with the group's political wing but still has no contact with its military wing.
Britain ceased contact with members of Hezbollah in 2005 and listed the military wing as a proscribed terrorist organization last year.
The Foreign Office said that it had reconsidered its position following positive developments in Lebanon. "Our objective with Hezbollah remains to encourage them to move away from violence and play a constructive, democratic and peaceful role in Lebanese politics, in line with a range of UN Security Council Resolutions," the ministry said.
The ministry said Britain's ambassador attended a meeting in January in Beirut alongside a Hezbollah lawmaker, and that the government was seeking to build relations with other legislators attached to the group.
http://www.asharqalawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=15946
O Britain, I sometimes despair! I suppose this means they will talk to Hamas once the pals form a unity government grr!
05/03/2009
LONDON (AP) - Britain is re-establishing contact with the militant group Hezbollah following the formation of a unity government in Lebanon, the British government said Thursday.
The Foreign Office said that it has established contact with the group's political wing but still has no contact with its military wing.
Britain ceased contact with members of Hezbollah in 2005 and listed the military wing as a proscribed terrorist organization last year.
The Foreign Office said that it had reconsidered its position following positive developments in Lebanon. "Our objective with Hezbollah remains to encourage them to move away from violence and play a constructive, democratic and peaceful role in Lebanese politics, in line with a range of UN Security Council Resolutions," the ministry said.
The ministry said Britain's ambassador attended a meeting in January in Beirut alongside a Hezbollah lawmaker, and that the government was seeking to build relations with other legislators attached to the group.
http://www.asharqalawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=15946
O Britain, I sometimes despair! I suppose this means they will talk to Hamas once the pals form a unity government grr!