Britain Will Talk to Hezbollah

I read this via Andy McCarthy in NRO's The Corner.

McCarthy provides a link to an article in The Guardian.

I can't say I am surprised at this development given Hezbollah spokesmen are welcome with open arms on British soil while Dutch parliamentarians who speak out against Islamic extremists are turned away.

The most damning part of the article is the rationale supplied by Britain's Foreign Office:

"We have reconsidered our position on no contact with Hezbollah," the Foreign Office said, "in light of more positive recent political developments in Lebanon, including the formation of the national unity government in which Hezbollah are participating. (italics mine) We are exploring certain contacts at an official level with Hezbollah's political wing, including MPs."

This is the understatement of the century. A national unity government in which Hezbollah are participating? Remember what happened in May 2008 when the Lebanese government tried to shut down Hezbollah's telecommunications system and tried to remove a Hezbollah sympathizer as the head of security at Beirut International Airport? Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah called it an act of war and violence erupted. Two weeks later a deal was reached known as the Doha Agreement. Hezbollah got to keep its telecommunications system, got to keep its airport security chief and got an effective permanent veto over any government action.

Hezbollah didn't exactly give anyone much of a choice. If Britain views the events that led to the Doha Agreement and the consequences of that agreement as a sign of "positive recent political developments in Lebanon" then heaven help us all. Of course what do you expect when Britain's Minister of Foreign Affairs David Miliband publicly states that Hezbollah's power base will evaporate once Israel returns the Golan Heights to Syria.