14:51GMT—10:51AM/EST
BRITAIN – HEZBOLLAH – BAN
Washington, 2 July (IranVNC)—The British government said on Wednesday it is moving to ban the military wing of Lebanon’s Shi’ite group Hezbollah because of its support for terrorism in Iraq and the Palestinian territories.
The ban, if approved by parliament, will become law and will substitute for the existing proscription against Hezbollah’s External Security Organization [ESO], which Britain considers as the group’s terrorist wing, AFP reports.
“This means that it will be a criminal offense to belong to, fundraise and encourage support for the military wing of the organization,” the Home Office said in a statement, but the ban would not apply to Hezbollah’s humanitarian, political and social activities.
According to Reuters, Hezbollah has never denied helping Palestinian factions but it has rarely revealed how. Meanwhile, the militant group has not claimed to aid Iraqi groups, but its leader Hassan Nasrallah announced in May that Hezbollah was unequivocally with the “Iraqi resistance”.
Tony McNulty, a junior Home office minister said with regards to the decision: “Hezbollah’s military wing is providing active support to militants in Iraq who are responsible for attacks both on coalition forces and on Iraqi civilians, including providing training in the use of deadly roadside bombs”.
He added that the group’s military wing also provides support to Palestinian terrorist factions such as Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
“It is because of this support for terrorism in Iraq and Occupied Palestinian Territories that the government has taken this action,” said McNulty.
Sources: Reuters, Agence France-Presse
© IranVNC 2008. All rights reserved.