Washington secret talks with Hizbullah via mediator
Lebanon-USA, Politics, 7/18/2005

Two officials in the American administration held talks with the Lebanese minister Tarrad Hammadeh who has links with the Lebanese Hizbullah party to be the mediator in undeclared talks between Washington and the Lebanese Shiite party.

A diplomatic source close to the talks said that Hammadeh met this month with senior officials in the US Department State specialized in diplomatic affairs in the Middle East, noting that talks dealt with reform in Lebanon rather than on Hizbullah which is described by the USA as a "terrorist organization." These talks came after Hizbullah decided to join the government after it was a "resistance force in confrontation of the Israeli occupation." Hizbullah played a basic role in forcing Israel to withdraw from south Lebanon after 22 of its occupation. In the latest parliamentary elections, Hizbullah made great gains following the popular support it enjoys among Lebanese.

However, the White House said that no change was introduced on the American policy towards Hizbullah despite that Hizbullah lessened its tone against it, rather, the US proposed to legitimatize it if of its fighters drop their weapons. Washington had stressed to Beirut that it will not deal with any member of Hizbullah party that gets a ministerial bag in the new government.

Previous Stories:
  Nasrallah deplores attempts to end resistance   (7/11/2005)
  Miqati and Dibble discuss Lebanese-US relations   (7/8/2005)
  Syrian national party rejects foreign intervention in Pebanon   (6/25/2005)

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