'US OK With UK's Overture To Hizbullah'

[Purveyor]

The Obama administration is "comfortable" with the British government's attempts to engage Hizbullah, a senior British diplomat asserts.

Bill Rammell, Britain's minister of state for foreign and Commonwealth affairs, said in a brief interview late last week that despite protests to the contrary, the new US administration doesn't object to the fledgling contacts with the "political win" of the Lebanon-based Shi'ite Muslim group, which also has a heavily armed militia.

Britain likens the attempt to engage Hizbullah, launched quietly this year, to London's outreach to political leaders of the Irish Republican Army earlier - a move that helped quell the Northern Ireland conflict.

"We have a different approach on this issue at the moment with the United States," he said. "But it's not an issue of disagreement in intentions. The feedback we had on Lebanon is that the Americans are comfortable with us doing things differently than they are at the moment."

Senior US officials privately have mocked and publicly rejected the British decision. "Our position on Hizbullah remains unchanged," Jeffrey Feltman, the US deputy assistant secretary of State for Near East affairs, told lawmakers last month. "We see no distinction between the leadership and funding of the group's terrorist, military, political and social wings.

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AP: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1238562907554&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

[bemildred]

1. So the UK gets to have it's own foreign policy now?

Awesome.

[Violet_Crumble]

2. LOL. n/t

[LeftishBrit]

4. A change after several years when most British foreign policy seemed to be conducted

up Bush's rear end.

[Howardx]

9. within reason

:hide:

[Alamuti Lotus]

3. not terribly bold recognition of an emerging accomplished fact

In a few months the Hizbu'llah-Aoun led opposition will control Parliament and the government; how coincidental that reconciliation moves are being made in advance of this. Who will US Ambassador Feltman (Lebanon's head of state, in his own mind) try to boss around when nobody in power gives a damn what he thinks?

[oberliner]

5. Hezbollah's continued existence as an independent militia is illegal under int'l law

They are required to turn in their weapons or be incorporated into the Lebanese army - neither of which has occurred.

[Alamuti Lotus]

6. but those enemy jets overhead are A-OK...

looks like the whole matter is pretty much a wash then, eh?

Rhetoric and party lines aside (a tall order, I know), what reasons are there for Hizbu'llah to do so when the conditions that precipitated their creation have only intensified? Why do you expect them to disarm in the face of what proves to still be a highly aggressive usurping entity? Well, I just answered my own question..

As an aside, which army would that be -- the one that serves tea to the invading soldiers and pleasures itself by pounding a few tents for weeks--wait, did they learn that last one from the Israelis? ...No, the resistance is actually quite fine on its own at this time.

[oberliner]

7. The Lebanese Armed Forces should be responsible for the defense of Lebanon

There should not be an extra governmental militia taking such matters into their own hands.

Those Hezbollah members who wish to defend Lebanon are welcome to join the Lebanese Army if they so choose but to operate independently as they are currently doing is in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1559 and the Taif Agreement.

[Alamuti Lotus]

8. You are aware of the history of the Lebanese Armed Forces, right?

If that is the case, you would understand the reluctance to move an inch in that direction.