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Lebanon, Syria served notice by US - Diplomats
By demanding a freeze of Hizbollah`s assets, Washington has sent its strongest message yet to Lebanon and its power broker Syria that they must pick sides in the war on ``terrorism``, analysts and diplomats say.
By demanding a freeze of Hizbollah's assets, Washington has sent its strongest message yet to Lebanon and its power broker Syria that they must pick sides in the war on ''terrorism'', analysts and diplomats say.
''It's not as if they're hinting at imminent military action, but what is being signalled in Beirut is that it's going to be an issue,'' said one western diplomat. The United States last week added the guerrilla group to a list of organisations subject to tight financial restrictions introduced after the September 11 attacks, which include blocking assets of banks that fail to comply.
Hizbollah, which Washington suspects of the 1983 suicide bombing of the US marine barracks in Beirut that killed 241 servicemen, has been a fixture on US lists of ''terrorist'' groups. The United States also describes Imad Moughniyeh, a Lebanese who appears on a list of most-wanted ''terrorists'' for his suspected role in hijackings and abductions of American nationals, as a Hizbollah member.
Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, after a lightning trip to Damascus to consult Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, on Thursday told US ambassador to Beirut vincent battle that he would not comply with the financial sanctions. Battle replied that Washington would explore the possibility of UN action against Lebanese financial institutions.
Though neither the US view of Hizbollah nor Lebanese and Syrian defence of the group as legitimate resistance to Israel are new, the threat of punitive economic sanctions raises the stakes locally in the anti-terror campaign.
Bureau Report
''It's not as if they're hinting at imminent military action, but what is being signalled in Beirut is that it's going to be an issue,'' said one western diplomat. The United States last week added the guerrilla group to a list of organisations subject to tight financial restrictions introduced after the September 11 attacks, which include blocking assets of banks that fail to comply.
Hizbollah, which Washington suspects of the 1983 suicide bombing of the US marine barracks in Beirut that killed 241 servicemen, has been a fixture on US lists of ''terrorist'' groups. The United States also describes Imad Moughniyeh, a Lebanese who appears on a list of most-wanted ''terrorists'' for his suspected role in hijackings and abductions of American nationals, as a Hizbollah member.
Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, after a lightning trip to Damascus to consult Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, on Thursday told US ambassador to Beirut vincent battle that he would not comply with the financial sanctions. Battle replied that Washington would explore the possibility of UN action against Lebanese financial institutions.
Though neither the US view of Hizbollah nor Lebanese and Syrian defence of the group as legitimate resistance to Israel are new, the threat of punitive economic sanctions raises the stakes locally in the anti-terror campaign.
Bureau Report