By KUNA,
London : The military wing of Lebanese political party Hezbollah has been placed on the British Government’s list of banned terrorist organisations, the UK Home Office announced Wednesday.
Hezbollah’s external security organisation was already included on the list, drawn up under counter-terror legislation passed in 2000, but it has now been replaced by a ban on the party’s entire military structure.
Inclusion on the list, which features 45 international terror groups, most linked to Islamist extremism, makes it a criminal offence in the UK to be a member of an organisation, to raise funds or to encourage support for it.
Announcing the change to the list, British Home Office Minister Tony McNulty said in a statement the ban does not apply to the political, social or humanitarian activities of Hezbollah.
“Hezbollahs 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 said.
“Hezbollahs military wing also provides support to Palestinian terrorist groups in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, such as Palestinian Islamic Jihad.” “It is because of this support for terrorism in Iraq and the Occupied Palestinian Territories that the (British) Government has taken this action,” the Minister added.
“Proscription of Hezbollahs military wing will not affect the legitimate political, social and humanitarian role Hezbollah plays in Lebanon, but it sends out a clear message that we condemn Hezbollahs violence and support for terrorism,” McNulty continued..
Britain continues to call on Hezbollah to end terrorist activity and its support for terrorism in Iraq and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, abandon its status as an armed group and participate in the democratic process on the same terms as other Lebanese political parties, the statement concluded.