“Bush calls on Hizbullah to prove it is not a terrorist group,” from the Lebanese DailyStar:
BEIRUT: American President George W. Bush called on Hizbullah to “prove they are not a terrorist group by laying down their arms”. Speaking after a meeting with Jordan’s King Abdullah II in Washington, Bush said: “We view Hizbullah as a terrorist organization, but I would hope that Hizbullah would prove that they’re not one by laying down arms and not threatening peace in the region.”
Bush’s comments will be seen as the strongest indication yet that Washington is softening its stance on the Lebanese resistance group.
But will laying down their arms really prove that they’re peaceful? What about the jihad ideology? What about the Islamic idea of a truce (hudna), wherein the Muslims lay down their arms for a temporary period, only so that they can gather strength to take them up again more effectively later?
See? This is the kind of myopia that comes from the Administration’s unwillingness or inability to confront the realities of the problem of jihad.
The statement comes hard on the heels of a series of leaked statements from the U.S. State Department in recent days hinting at a new openess within the White House to deal with Hizbullah.
But Bush’s plea fell on stony ground within Hizbullah.
A spokesperson for the group said: “Despite the softening of attitude, the U.S. position regarding the Lebanese resistance group has never changed. Hizbullah remains on their list of terrorist organizations and the U.S. administration continues to consider us an enemy.”
Bush said a major concern, discussed by him and Abdullah, was that Hizbullah may try to derail the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians.
Gee, ya think?