European sources report that the US, along with Saudi Arabia, had a major role to play in pressuring the EU to place Hezbollah’s military wing on their list of terrorist organizations.

The difficult process leading up to the decision indicates that the conclusion reached by the European foreign ministers was a compromise between US demands to blacklist the party as a whole – and not just its “military wing” – and a European attempt to wiggle out of such a step altogether.

Diplomatic sources who followed the deliberations suggest that the decision was made reluctantly after repeated interventions on the part of Washington and Saudi Arabia, who wanted to punish Hezbollah for fighting alongside the Syrian armed forces in the decisive battle of Qusayr.

The sources further indicate that the Persia Gulf Cooperation Council may soon follow in the footsteps of the Europeans to bring more yet more pressure on the Lebanese Resistance party.

Also according to a report released by al-Manar TV, Saudi Arabia has made several contacts with EU members to provoke them to adopt policies against Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah.

The Saudi government has also dedicated a multi-billion dollar fund to realize such intention, al-Manar reported.

Earlier, Saudi Arabia has condemned the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah for fighting alongside the Syrian army against foreign-backed militants in Syria.

In a statement issued by the Saudi cabinet ministers, they condemned Hezbollah’s role in battling the anti-government militants alongside Syrian government forces in the strategic border town of al-Qusayr, an important center and supply route for the foreign-sponsored militants.

The kingdom, which is among the six-member states of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Persian Gulf, warned earlier this month that it would take measures to punish the Lebanese resistance.

NJF/NJF