From the Liveblog of
Monday, February 25, 2019
Pompeo commends UK for move to label Hezbollah political wing as terror group
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleUS Secretary of State Mike Pompeo welcomes the move by the UK government to ban Hezbollah’s political wing under British anti-terror laws.
In a tweet, Pompeo says the US “commends our British allies for banning Hezbollah.”
“This Iran-sponsored terrorist group has American blood on its hands & continues to plot & carry out attacks in the Mideast, Europe & around the world,” he says. “International unity to confront Iran’s regime continues to grow.”
Earlier today, British Home Secretary Sajid Javid said the government was “no longer able to distinguish” between the organization’s military and political wing, and accused the Iran-backed group of destabilizing the fragile situation in the Middle East.
The U.S. commends our British allies for banning Hizballah. This #Iran-sponsored terrorist group has American blood on its hands & continues to plot & carry out attacks in the Mideast, Europe & around the world. International unity to confront Iran’s regime continues to grow. https://t.co/2LvFypf8X7
— Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) February 25, 2019
A draft order laid in the UK Parliament will ban Hezbollah and two other groups. Subject to Parliament’s approval, the order will go into effect on Friday and being a member of, or inviting support for, Hezbollah will be a criminal offense, carrying a sentence of up to 10 years in prison. Until now the military wing of the Lebanon-based group has been outlawed in Britain, but not its political arm.
The Times of Israel Community.