Australia lists Hezbollah as 鈥榯errorist organization鈥�

Hezbollah fighters stand atop a truck mounted with mock rockets during a rally in Nabatiyeh, Lebanon. (AP file photo)
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  • Israel and the United States have long listed Hezbollah as a terror group

SYDNEY: Australia on Wednesday listed all of Hezbollah as a 鈥渢errorist organization鈥�, extending an existing ban on armed units to the entire movement, which wields considerable power over Lebanon.

Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said that the Iran-backed Shiite group 鈥渃ontinues to threaten terrorist attacks and provide support to terrorist organizations鈥� and poses a 鈥渞eal鈥� and 鈥渃redible鈥� threat to Australia.

Hezbollah defies easy definition 鈥� acting as part political party, part armed group and part provider of basic services to Lebanon鈥檚 Shiite community.

It has claimed responsibility for multiple rocket attacks on Israel and is the only side that has to date refused to disarm since the country鈥檚 devastating civil war ended in 1990.

Some countries have sought to distinguish between Hezbollah鈥檚 political and militant factions, fearing a blanket ban could destabilize Lebanon and hamper contacts with authorities.

Australia had since 2003 banned Hezbollah鈥檚 so-called External Security Organization.

From now membership of the entire organization or providing funding for it will now be proscribed in Australia, which has a large Lebanese community.

Matthew Levitt, a former US counter-terrorism financing official now with the Washington Institue for Near East policy, said the move was 鈥渓ong overdue.鈥�

In June, he testified to the Australian parliament that the previous designation was 鈥渋nsufficent鈥� adding that 鈥淗ezbollah is structured and operates as a singular organization.鈥�

鈥淚n recent years a laundry list of Hezbollah terrorist plots and illicit financial schemes have involved Australian citizens and/or activities on Australian soil,鈥� he said.

No reason was given for the timing of Canberra鈥檚 decision, which comes as Lebanon reels from spiralling political and economic crises.

Nearly 80 percent of the Lebanese population is estimated to be living below the poverty line.

Elections are expected in March 2022 and there is growing public anger about nepotism and corruption among Lebanon鈥檚 ruling class.

The move may play well domestically for Australia鈥檚 conservative government, ahead of its own elections expected next year.

Before 2018 polls, Prime Minister Scott Morrison made the surprise move of recognizing west Jerusalem as Israel鈥檚 capital, helping secure votes in a battleground Sydney seat with a sizeable Jewish community.

Israel鈥檚 embassy in Canberra welcomed the decision, saying 鈥渢here is no division between the political and the military wings of the terror organization Hezbollah, and this acknowledgement is essential to combating the enduring threat of terrorism.鈥�

Andrews also announced Wednesday that Australia would be listing far-right group 鈥淭he Base.鈥�

鈥淭hey are a violent, racist neo-Nazi group known by security agencies to be planning and preparing terrorist attacks,鈥� Andrews said.