the Syrian rebels
Lebanon’s Hezbollah has paid a small price for sending its men to Syria to fight along the side of Bashar Al Assad’s troops. On Monday, the European Union foreign ministers added the military wing of Hezbollah to a list of terrorist organizations. It’s not known what effects the EU move would have, though it’s likely to include sanctions and asset freezes. The punishment for the military wing is unlikely to impact the EU’s interaction with the organization. Hezbollah is the most powerful political party in Lebanon and its social wing runs schools and hospitals and is involved in several humanitarian works. It’s important for the EU to keep open channels of communication alive with the organization. Asked about the effectiveness of the measures, Catherine Ashton, the EU’s top foreign policy official, said that ‘of course it’s a political signal’.
Hezbollah must learn its lessons from the EU action. The organization, which has been loved in the Arab world for its virulent defence against Israel, has lost its goodwill after its decision to send fighters to Syria. Hezbollah’s help has been primarily responsible for the reversal of some of the gains made by the Syrian rebels. Assad got a significant boost and his position improved due to the Lebanese organization.
Hezbollah must weigh the pros and cons of its support for Assad. By openly aligning with the Syrian ruler, it has antagonized many of its friends and well-wishers, especially in the Gulf. The Gulf states have been furious at its decision and have launched a series of measures against it, which will affect not only Hezbollah, but Lebanon too. There is still time for Hasan Nasrallah to rethink his position. He must recall his fighters and repair relations with Arab countries.
As Ashton said, the EU decision is more of a political signal. But that is a powerful signal and if not taken seriously, can lead to more stringent measures. There is a near unanimity among the international community now that Hezbollah has overstepped itself by openly supporting Assad, and those countries which were against imposing sanctions against the group, even under pressure from the US and Israel, are now open to the idea putting some kind of pressure.
Hezbollah hasn’t officially reacted to the EU action, but its television channel, Al Manar, said that the EU has succumbed to pressure from Israel and the US which have long listed the organization as a terrorist organization and have urged the European bloc’s members to follow suit.
At the same time, despite the external pressure, Hezbollah is unlikely to rethink its strong support for Assad. The organization will find itself more isolated in the coming months, and the benefits from support for Assad will be eclipsed by the losses it would incur•
Lebanon’s Hezbollah has paid a small price for sending its men to Syria to fight along the side of Bashar Al Assad’s troops. On Monday, the European Union foreign ministers added the military wing of Hezbollah to a list of terrorist organizations. It’s not known what effects the EU move would have, though it’s likely to include sanctions and asset freezes. The punishment for the military wing is unlikely to impact the EU’s interaction with the organization. Hezbollah is the most powerful political party in Lebanon and its social wing runs schools and hospitals and is involved in several humanitarian works. It’s important for the EU to keep open channels of communication alive with the organization. Asked about the effectiveness of the measures, Catherine Ashton, the EU’s top foreign policy official, said that ‘of course it’s a political signal’.
Hezbollah must learn its lessons from the EU action. The organization, which has been loved in the Arab world for its virulent defence against Israel, has lost its goodwill after its decision to send fighters to Syria. Hezbollah’s help has been primarily responsible for the reversal of some of the gains made by the Syrian rebels. Assad got a significant boost and his position improved due to the Lebanese organization.
Hezbollah must weigh the pros and cons of its support for Assad. By openly aligning with the Syrian ruler, it has antagonized many of its friends and well-wishers, especially in the Gulf. The Gulf states have been furious at its decision and have launched a series of measures against it, which will affect not only Hezbollah, but Lebanon too. There is still time for Hasan Nasrallah to rethink his position. He must recall his fighters and repair relations with Arab countries.
As Ashton said, the EU decision is more of a political signal. But that is a powerful signal and if not taken seriously, can lead to more stringent measures. There is a near unanimity among the international community now that Hezbollah has overstepped itself by openly supporting Assad, and those countries which were against imposing sanctions against the group, even under pressure from the US and Israel, are now open to the idea putting some kind of pressure.
Hezbollah hasn’t officially reacted to the EU action, but its television channel, Al Manar, said that the EU has succumbed to pressure from Israel and the US which have long listed the organization as a terrorist organization and have urged the European bloc’s members to follow suit.
At the same time, despite the external pressure, Hezbollah is unlikely to rethink its strong support for Assad. The organization will find itself more isolated in the coming months, and the benefits from support for Assad will be eclipsed by the losses it would incur•
