Germany will not designate Hezbollah a terrorist group
Germany has said that it will not officially designate Hezbollah as a terrorist group, a development likely to cause tension between Berlin and Washington.
The flag of the Hezbollah terrorist group, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described as “Iran’s chief terrorist proxy” in his speech to Congress on Tuesday. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.
The country’s minister of state, Niels Annen, told Der Spiegel on Friday that the U.S.-designated terrorist group plays a crucial role in Lebanon, and that the European Union already blacklists the organization’s terrorist wing, reported Reuters.
This comes two weeks after the United Kingdom officially designated Hezbollah as a terrorist group, joining 12 other countries that have a similar designation.
Previously, the United Kingdom distinguished between the Hezbollah terrorist and political facets.
JNS
Its smarter not to treat the political party of a radical group as a terrorist organisation be it Hezbollah, IRA or Communist Party. All governments need someone to negotiate with as the UK did with the IRA political wing successfully a decade ago.