Israel Matzav

Obama administration 'comfortable' with Hezbullah?

Al-AP reports on Sunday via JPost on a British diplomat's assertion that the Obama administration is 'comfortable' with British overtures to Hezbullah.

Bill Rammell, Britain's minister of state for foreign and Commonwealth affairs, said in a brief interview late last week that despite protests to the contrary, the new US administration doesn't object to the fledgling contacts with the "political win" of the Lebanon-based Shi'ite Muslim group, which also has a heavily armed militia.

Britain likens the attempt to engage Hizbullah, launched quietly this year, to London's outreach to political leaders of the Irish Republican Army earlier - a move that helped quell the Northern Ireland conflict.

"We have a different approach on this issue at the moment with the United States," he said. "But it's not an issue of disagreement in intentions. The feedback we had on Lebanon is that the Americans are comfortable with us doing things differently than they are at the moment."

Publicly, the US has rejected the British initiative. But Rammell asserts that's not really the American attitude.

Although the Obama administration rejects the British approach, Rammell said initial US alarm has given way to curiosity and that there is "no antagonism" between the two allies over the issue. Rammell's areas of responsibility include the Middle East, Afghanistan and North America, according to the Web site of Britain's Foreign Ministry.

France, with deep historical and cultural ties to Lebanon, has long maintained relations with Hizbullah. Rammell said the British attempt to engage Hizbullah would proceed incrementally, in an attempt at "testing the waters."

In a meeting last week with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem, Rammell also said London was ready to engage with Hamas, if it renounced violence.

"I would like to talk to Hamas, but we need change before engaging in that position," he said at the meeting.

He added that Hizbullah also must reject violence before any dialogue could broaden.

Forgetting about Hezbullah's commitment to destroy Israel for a minute, one would think that the reports on Hezbullah activity in Mexico and Latin America should be enough to put even the Obama administration off such a folly as seeking to bring the terrorist organization out of its isolation. But no, Obama is apparently determined to bring down America along with Israel. Well, don't say I didn't warn you all.

UPDATE 12:46 PM

Jim Hoft reminds us that we shouldn't be surprised at this development because Obama's church of 20 years supports Hezbullah too.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:37 AM