The Lebanese government yesterday dismissed Washington's inclusion of Hizbullah on its list of "terrorist groups" and rejected pressure to freeze the movement's assets. The Finance Minister, Mr Fuad Siniora, said yesterday that "Lebanon's stance is that terrorist groups must be differentiated from those seeking to liberate their countries". Mr Siniora told the Voice of Lebanon radio that during Thursday's cabinet meeting, ministers will decide "not to take any measures against Hizbullah."
Hizbullah, the Party of God, was founded in 1982 to resist Israeli forces besieging Beirut. The group, which began as a loose coalition of factions, was believed to have been behind the bombings of US and French military barracks in Lebanon and the holding of Western hostages, including Mr Brian Keenan, an Irish citizen.
Since the early nineties, however, Hizbullah transformed itself into a key player on the Lebanese political scene. Hizbullah became a benefactor of the poor by establishing a modern hospital in the southern suburbs of Beirut, running clinics and schools and providing pensions for the families of fighters killed in the movement's 18-year military campaign against Israel.
Hizbullah's popularity soared when Israel withdrew from the occupation zone in May 2000.
Hizbullah is now a mainstream political party with eight members in parliament and its reconstruction agency is helping to rebuild the devastated south.
Washington's position was presented on Friday by the US ambassador to Beirut, Mr Vincent Battle, to the Lebanese foreign minister, Mr Mahmud Hammud. He retorted: "The Lebanese resistance expelled Israel's occupation army from south Lebanon. We are proud of it."
