WASHINGTON Ñ The United States has increased intelligence monitoring
of Hizbullah after concluding that the Iranian-based terror organization is more dangerous over the long term than Al Qaida.
The State Department has accused Hizbullah of being involved in the
bombings in Beirut of the U.S. embassy and the U.S. Marine barracks in 1983 which killed hundreds of U.S. soldiers. Three Hizbullah members are also listed on the
FBI list of 22 most wanted terrorists.
"Hizbullah may be the A-team of terrorists and maybe Al Qaida is
actually the B-team," Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said.
"They're on the list and their time will come."
U.S. officials said that while Al Qaida has been significantly damaged
by the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan, Hizbullah continues to receive money and
weapons from such countries as Iran and Syria, Middle East Newsline reported. The organization has strengthened its
presence in Europe and South America.
Armitage acknowledged that Hizbullah was responsible for the killing of
hundreds of U.S. soldiers in Lebanon in 1983 but said
Washington would not launch an offensive against Hizbullah in the near
future.
"There is no question about it," Armitage told the U.S. Institute of
Peace on Wednesday. "They have a blood debt to us . . . and
we're not going to forget it and it's all in good time. We're going to go
after these problems just like a high school wrestler goes after a match:
We're going to take them down one at a time."
U.S. officials said the administration has pressed Lebanon and Syria to
restrain Hizbullah and other groups on the State Department list of
terrorist organizations.
In Congress, a House mission reported that Hizbullah has amassed
thousands of short-range rockets along Lebanon's border with Israel. The
mission, led by Rep. Jane Harman and Rep. Saxby Chambliss, said Syria has
been providing Hizbullah rockets that can strike deep into Israel.
"Syria is actively arming Hizbullah with long-range rockets which can
strike 75 kilometers into Israel from the Lebanese border," Ms. Harmon told
the House Intelligence Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security on
Thursday. "I mean, clearly this is a bad thing."
