Tillerson: US must 'acknowledge reality'; Hizballah part of Lebanon's political process

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said the US must "acknowledge the reality" that Hizballah is part of Lebanon's political process, despite Washington's official designation of the movement as a "terrorist group".

Tillerson, formerly a chief executive of oil giant ExxonMobil, made the remarks in Jordan on Wednesday, according to the US State Department.

Hizballah, a Shia political party-cum-militia that draws significant support from Iran, is part of a coalition government that currently holds power in Lebanon, where Tillerson is headed on Thursday as part of his latest Middle East tour.

"We also have to acknowledge the reality that they also are part of the political process in Lebanon," Tillerson said. 

"I think Lebanon is taking positive steps with their law on disassociation that was passed last year, to send a signal as to their view that they do not want to see any of Lebanese Hizballah involved in foreign conflicts and have asked that they bring all of their people back from the conflict in Yemen."

We also have to acknowledge the reality that [Hizballah] also are part of the political process in Lebanon

US officials have made similar remarks in the past, but Tillerson's comment breaks with more recent rhetoric furiously condemning all Iranian leverage in the region. 

"We support a free, democratic Lebanon, free of influence of others, and we know that Lebanese Hizballah is influenced by Iran. This is influence that we think is unhelpful in Lebanon's long-term future," Tillerson also said.

Yesterday, the secretary of state said in an interview with Al Hurra TV that the US was "very mindful [that] our issue is with [Hizballah]" - and not with the Lebanese people or the Lebanese government. "So we try to be very precise in the actions we take to not harm the Lebanese people," he added.

While the US government officially classifies Hizballah as a terrorist organisation, the EU makes a distinction between the group's political and armed wings - only classifying the latter as a terror group.

The US secretary of state is set to meet with Lebanon's President Michel Aoun, Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri later in the week.


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