Ross: Hizbullah's resistance of Israel is not terrorism
Lebanon-USA, Politics, 3/23/2002

The first coordinator of the public diplomacy at the US state department Christopher Ross on Friday stressed that Hizbullah's resistance of the Israeli occupation is not terrorism. But he added that "terrorist acts carried out in the past which led to putting the name of the Hizbullah party on the American lists of terrorist organizations."

In a statement to the Kuwaiti daily al-Rai al-Am issued on Friday, Ross said:" I say the Hizbullah party and some of its members carried terrorist acts in the past. I can mention the explosion of the American embassy in Beirut twice, and one time the Marines barrack at Beirut's airport. We consider these acts as terrorist act."

Ross added "but this does not mean that every thing the Hizbullah party makes is a terrorist activity. No. We have realized that Hizbullah party has an important social role in certain Lebanese areas. We also realized the acts that it carried out against the Israeli forces in South Lebanon were not terrorist acts." Ross continued "As certain members of the Hizbullah party in the past carried out, so we are obliged to describe this organization by putting it in the American lists as a terrorist."

Ross explained "what is basically needed is to abstain from carrying out any new terrorist acts and to hand over those who are responsible for previous terrorist acts to the judicial authorities, and until this can be made, we ask the Lebanese government to freeze the assets of the Hizbullah and we did the same towards other organizations in other countries."

Previous Stories:
  Lebanon rejects American statements, Hizbullah party has no connection to weapons ship   (1/12/2002)
  The US and Hizbullah   (12/17/2001)
  Lebanon vows to continue with the US to fighting terrorism   (12/15/2001)
  The US and Hizbullah   (12/4/2001)
  Hizbullah party refuses American proposals   (11/17/2001)

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