EU putting Hezbollah military wing on terror list

Women wave Hezbollah flags while holding a picture of the movement's chief Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon on May 25, 2013.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• UK's Hague says the move is a "clear message" that the EU is united on terrorism
• This comes amid a new initiative for Israeli and Palestinian talks
• Hezbollah has been supporting Bashar al-Assad
• Israel's justice minister calls the decision "correct and just"

(CNN) -- The European Union forged a political agreement Monday to list the military wing of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, a European diplomat told CNN.

The Iranian-backed Lebanese Shiite group, which is a strong force in Lebanese politics, already is regarded as a terrorist organization by the United States and Israel.

Hezbollah leader acknowledges fighters' presence in Syria town

There had been political pressure to put the entire group on the terror list amid developments in Bulgaria and Cyprus. The designation would put asset freezes on Hezbollah entities.

"Legal details need to be worked on in the coming days," the diplomat said.

The Bulgarians cited evidence that Hezbollah's military wing was involved in a terror attack last year killing five Israeli tourists and a Bulgarian bus driver. In Cyprus earlier this year, a court found a Hezbollah member guilty of assisting in the planning of an attack on Israel. Lately, its fighters have sided with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in that country's civil war.

Read more: Terrorism at a moment of transition

The European Union agreed to target just the military component, the diplomat said. Critics of such an approach say designating part of an entity isn't effective or practical.

Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni's spokeswomen called the decision "correct and just." It "puts an end to the wrong argument" that Hezbollah's military activities are absolved by the group's political status. "Even if Hezbollah is a political party, that does not whitewash and make legitimate their terrorist activities," the spokeswoman said.

UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said the agreement sends "a clear message" that the European Union "stands united against terrorism."

"It shows that no organization can carry out terrorist acts on European soil, such as the appalling attack in Bulgaria one year ago, without facing the consequences. European nations have rightly come together in response," he said.

Donilon: Hezbollah not 'responsible political actor'

Hezbollah was formed after Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982 to go after the Palestine Liberation Organization and has been accused of high-profile terror attacks over the years.

Opinion: Time for G8 to make Hezbollah statement

"Hezbollah first gained notoriety in 1983 after it bombed the United States Embassy in Beirut -- an attack that killed 63 people. Shortly thereafter, Hezbollah bombed the American and French Marine Barracks in Beirut, killing 241 Americans and 58 French service members with one of the largest explosive devices ever detonated during a terrorist attack," Tom Donilon, President Obama's former national security adviser, wrote in a New York Times column earlier this year.

"Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the group conducted kidnappings and airplane hijackings, two bombings in Buenos Aires, several in Paris and an attempted bombing in Bangkok. In 1996 it assisted in the Khobar Towers attack in Saudi Arabia, which killed 19 Americans. Thanks to this bloody record, in 1997 Hezbollah was among the first groups added to the State Department's list of foreign terrorist organizations."

Donilon said the group has tried to portray itself as a political entity focused on social services and defending the country.

"But it is an illusion to speak of Hezbollah as a responsible political actor. Hezbollah remains a terrorist organization and a destabilizing force across the Middle East," he said.

Renewed Israeli-Palestinian talks planned

The latest EU move comes amid two diplomatic developments last week -- its own intention to ban funding to Israeli entities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and serious diplomatic wrangling over peace in the Middle East.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is working to bring Israelis and Palestinians together for peace talks.

Opinion: Europe, name Hezbollah in terror

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton noted that the European Union published a document reiterating "the long-held position that bilateral agreements with Israel do not cover the territory that came under Israel's administration in June 1967."

The move prompted criticism out of Israel and from some U.S. lawmakers, who called it "counterproductive."

She said the "specific provisions" of the guidelines covering Israel-EU "funding instruments" won't be implemented before January 1, 2014.

"This is meant to clarify the EU's position in advance of negotiations of agreements with Israel during the forthcoming financial perspective commencing in 2014. In no way will this prejudge the outcome of peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. It has been the EU's long-held position that it will recognize changes made to the borders once agreed," Ashton said.

She said the European Union is "deeply committed" to peace negotiations.

Hezbollah has been a staunch opponent of Israel. The Jewish state and Hezbollah also fought a war in 2006 after the military group kidnapped and killed Israeli soldiers.

CNN's Nick Paton Walsh reported from Beirut and CNN's Joe Sterling reported from Atlanta

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/cnn_latest/~3/k23SH-z60vw/index.html

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