In a major foreign policy shift, the Bush administration is ready to accept long-time pariah and armed group Hizbollah as a player in mainstream politics in Lebanon, The New York Times reported on Thursday. The story was swiftly disputed by the Bush administration, which said its policy was unchanged. Seen for decades by the United States as a terrorist group, Hizbollah this week sponsored one of the biggest pro-Syrian demonstrations ever seen in Lebanon.
US, European and United Nations officials told The New York Times the United States reluctantly recognised that besides having a militia and sponsoring attacks on Israelis, Hizbollah was a huge political force in Lebanon that could block Western efforts to get Syria to withdraw its troops.
"There is a realisation by France and the United States that if you tackle Hizbollah now, you array the Shiites against you. With elections coming in Lebanon, you don't want the entire Shia community against you," one diplomat told the paper.