BICOM

During a visit to Lebanon, Foreign Secretary William Hague reiterated the need for action in the wake of an investigation that found that Hezbollah was responsible for a bus bombing in Bulgaria last July.

Earlier this month, the Bulgarian Interior Minister presented the results of an investigation by his country’s authorities which showed that Hezbollah was behind a bus bombing in the Black Sea resort of Burgas, which killed five Israeli tourists and a Bulgarian bus driver. The UK proscribes the armed wing of Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation and is thought to be urging the European Union to adopt similar measures following the Burgas attack.

Yesterday, following a meeting with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati and the country’s President Michel Suleiman, in which Hague discussed Hezbollah’s role in the Burgas bombing, the foreign minister told the assembled media, “It is important that when a bombing takes place on European soil, that there are consequences.” He stressed that such action would not “need change the internal stability of Lebanon.”

Hague also said that Britain would help to train 2,000 Lebanese soldiers this year, indicating that the Lebanese army is key to maintaining order in a region where the chaos of Syria’s civil war threatens to spill over into neighbouring countries including Lebanon. Hague said, “The UK recognises in particular the critical role played by the Lebanese Armed Forces in maintaining stability. That is why we are increasing our training assistance package.” The danger of an overspill from Syria was heightened earlier this week when Syrian opposition forces warned Hezbollah to stop providing direct support to President Assad’s forces, or else risk strikes against their bases in Lebanon.