Iran condemns Britain for listing ally Hezbollah as 'terrorist' group

 

FILE PHOTO: Lebanon's Hezbollah supporters chant slogans during last day of Ashura, in Beirut, Lebanon September 20, 2018. REUTERS/Aziz Taher/File Photo

 

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran criticised Britain for its decision to list Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation, saying on Saturday it ignored both the will of a large portion of the Lebanese people and the Tehran-backed group's role in fighting Islamic State.

 

Britain said on Monday it planned to ban all wings of Hezbollah, which is deemed a terrorist organisation by Washington, due to its destabilising influence in the Middle East, having previously proscribed its external security unit and its military wing.

 

"This British measure signifies deliberately ignoring a large part of the Lebanese people and the legitimacy and the legal position of Hezbollah in Lebanon's administrative and political structure," Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA.

 

Long the most powerful group in Lebanon, Hezbollah's influence has expanded at home and in the region. It controls three of 30 ministries in the government led by Western-backed Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri, the largest number ever.

 

"In addition to ... helping preserve Lebanon's territorial integrity over recent decades, Hezbollah has been one of the pillars of the fight against terrorism and terrorist groups such as Islamic State in the region," Qasemi added.

 

Iran and Hezbollah, founded in 1982 by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, are major players in the war in Syria and the fight against militant groups opposed to President Bashar al-Assad, which include Islamic State.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-03-03

Who will Jeremy march with now?

4 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Britain said on Monday it planned to ban all wings of Hezbollah, which is deemed a terrorist organisation by Washington

More like a directive from USA told Britain to ban them. 

I would say it would be pressure from the Gulf states rather than America. They are hardly a shining beacon of peace and tolerance, are they? Just for their Anti-Sematic views alone, the ban is justified. 

So funny. Is Iran trying out for a comedy routine?  I had to check my calendar and make sure it wasn’t April 1.  5555555 ???? 

1 hour ago, Kwasaki said:

More like a directive from USA told Britain to ban them. 

    Nope!  More like Britain is using plain common sense. Hesbollah is indeed a terrorist organization. People who don’t think so are about as dim as a burned out light bulb.  Common sense is apparently in short supply in some people who think Britain can’t make their own decisions without the say so of the U.S. 

     Any country in its right mind would condemn Hezbollah and Hamas and ISIS et al. 

2 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

More like a directive from USA told Britain to ban them. 

 

Doubt you'd be in the know, if there was such a "directive". Or that you could support the claim by anything meaningful.

What next : I.S. claiming that they are not a terrorist organisation because they fought against Hezbollah ?

Troll posts and the replies have been removed. 

 

An off topic post was removed. 

4 hours ago, Kwasaki said:

More like a directive from USA told Britain to ban them. 

 

Your're getting Britain confused with Australia.

2 hours ago, Morch said:

 

Doubt you'd be in the know, if there was such a "directive". Or that you could support the claim by anything meaningful.

 

Indeed he wouldn't and couldn't!

 

But to be fair, it's not rocket science to recognize a major terrorist organization for just what it is.

One mans terrorist ..................

6 hours ago, Snow Leopard said:

I would say it would be pressure from the Gulf states rather than America. They are hardly a shining beacon of peace and tolerance, are they? Just for their Anti-Sematic views alone, the ban is justified. 

Anti Zionist not anti sematic. There's a difference.

6 hours ago, Catoni said:

Any country in its right mind would condemn Hezbollah and Hamas and ISIS et al. 

You forgot the Stern Gang and Irgun.

And the King David Hotel.

8 hours ago, Snow Leopard said:

I would say it would be pressure from the Gulf states rather than America. They are hardly a shining beacon of peace and tolerance, are they? Just for their Anti-Sematic views alone, the ban is justified. 

Anti Jewish opinions, no matter how repugnant do not justify labeling them as  "terrorists" by any nation.

This whole region is unstable. Just as your anti Muslim posts should not label Israel as being a terrorist nation.

Although both sides  have pros and cons in that regard.

I thought Hezbollah already was on terrorist list for years, or was it only US terrorist list?

3 hours ago, Spidey said:

You forgot the Stern Gang and Irgun.

 

3 hours ago, lungbing said:

And the King David Hotel.

 

And you seem to have forgotten that said organizations and attack were, indeed, outlawed and condemned at the time. Or that you're referring to things which were relevant 70 years ago. Or that none of the above got much to do with the topic.

1 hour ago, BestB said:

I thought Hezbollah already was on terrorist list for years, or was it only US terrorist list?

 

Some of the countries in question accept the differentiation between Hezbollah's military and political wings, and list only the former. That was previously the case with the UK. Whether said distinctions apply in reality, and whether they are ought to be accepted are related questions. 

6 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Indeed he wouldn't and couldn't!

 

But to be fair, it's not rocket science to recognize a major terrorist organization for just what it is.

 

Even a point of view that does not consider Hezbollah a terrorist organization, would be hard pressed to claim all's well as far as the role it plays.

 

Having a sectarian, political movement, with its own armed forces is questionable enough on the domestic front. As far as foreign relations and security issues go, it's even worse - what with Hezbollah effectively having an agenda which doesn't necessarily relate to the interests of  Lebanon as a whole. And that's without getting into Hezbollah's relations with Iran.

5 hours ago, Jim1000 said:

One mans terrorist ..................

TWA Flight 847.

27 minutes ago, SheungWan said:

TWA Flight 847.

Exactly. Not to many countries has historical clean hands. And many wash their hands and wring them as well.

 The whole topic is a pot stirring exercise.

 Every one of the "combatants" in this arena has one constant arguement.

You did this and we responded. For eons in the past and in decades in the present.

And because no one on either side wants to resolve the issue, it will continue for centuries.

Which is why US and Russia need to get their polluting politics out of the area.

They cause the problems and the world is held hostage to a bunch of loonies wanting to kill each other.

Without US and Russia, they could sort it out once and for all. This is tongue in cheek, nut you may get my drift.

3 hours ago, Morch said:

 

 

And you seem to have forgotten that said organizations and attack were, indeed, outlawed and condemned at the time. Or that you're referring to things which were relevant 70 years ago. Or that none of the above got much to do with the topic.

And you seem to have forgotten that the leaders of the "gangs" were and still are held in high esteem.

And were given senior roles in the land grab after the state of Israel was declared.

 

2 hours ago, SheungWan said:

TWA Flight 847.

 

1 hour ago, Prissana Pescud said:

Exactly. Not to many countries has historical clean hands. And many wash their hands and wring them as well.

 The whole topic is a pot stirring exercise.

 Every one of the "combatants" in this arena has one constant arguement.

You did this and we responded. For eons in the past and in decades in the present.

And because no one on either side wants to resolve the issue, it will continue for centuries.

Which is why US and Russia need to get their polluting politics out of the area.

They cause the problems and the world is held hostage to a bunch of loonies wanting to kill each other.

Without US and Russia, they could sort it out once and for all. This is tongue in cheek, nut you may get my drift.

There are always a few who openly try to whitewash open terrorist organisations and kick that into the long grass. The trick these days is to work out whether they are coming at it from the position of some neo-fascist Conspiracy Theory loon organisation OR a crazy left-wing sect. Either way they line up with the Hezbollahs of this world and busily explain them away. A good dose of relativism or whataboutism often ensues. The unpleasant nutter element on these threads.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TWA_Flight_847

 

 

3 hours ago, Prissana Pescud said:

And you seem to have forgotten that the leaders of the "gangs" were and still are held in high esteem.

And were given senior roles in the land grab after the state of Israel was declared.

My father served in the British force in Palestine 1947-'48

 

Menachem Begin, leader of Irgun and later Prime Minister of Israel, hung his sergeant.

 

A prime example of one man's terrorist being another man's freedom fighter.

This UK government decision is hypocritical, in that it continues to sell arms to 3 countries in the region that use those weapons to terrorize and kill civilians.

Hezbollah is one of the few forces in the region capable of defending its people against those countries. 
You will find that these 3 countries are the tails wagging the UK and US dogs.

 

The UK decision is also an insult to the Lebanese citizens who elected Hezbollah.

 

Attempts are being made to lobby the EU to delegitimize Hezbollah, but looks like unsuccessfully.

French President Emmanuel Macron said: "It is not up to France or other outside powers to know which political force represented in Lebanon would be good or not, it is up to the Lebanese people to do so."

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/03/hezbollah-british-ban-insult-lebanese-people-190303085858283.html

 

3 minutes ago, dexterm said:

This UK government decision is hypocritical, in that it continues to sell arms to 3 countries in the region that use those weapons to terrorize and kill civilians.

Hezbollah is one of the few forces in the region capable of defending its people against those countries. 
You will find that these 3 countries are the tails wagging the UK and US dogs.

 

The UK decision is also an insult to the Lebanese citizens who elected Hezbollah.

 

Attempts are being made to lobby the EU to delegitimize Hezbollah, but looks like unsuccessfully.

French President Emmanuel Macron said: "It is not up to France or other outside powers to know which political force represented in Lebanon would be good or not, it is up to the Lebanese people to do so."

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/03/hezbollah-british-ban-insult-lebanese-people-190303085858283.html

 

 

Please define "its people" in the context of your post and the OP.

 

And seeing as this is, apparently, a matter of democratic principle, how does having a political party with an "armed winged" fit it this argument? Or are you contending that the existence of said "armed wing" got no bearing when it comes to Lebanon's domestic politics?