WASHINGTON, March 15, 2005 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – The US House of Representatives has adopted a resolution calling on the European Union to put the Lebanese resistance group Hizbullah on its list of terrorist organizations and block its funding.

In a 380-3 resolution, the House urged further the 25-nation bloc to recognize Hizbullah as a threat to international security, which would oblige the EU member states to seize the group's assets and block its funds, Reuters reported on Tuesday, March 15.

“Hizbullah is without a doubt a terrorist organization, supported by Syria and Iran, with a history of killing both Americans and Israelis,” said Rep. Eric Cantor.

New Jersey Republican Rep. Jim Saxton, a Republican, also claimed that while some European governments view the military and political wings of the organization separately, “the ideological fabric of Hizbullah is based on the ideals of radical Islam and the central purpose of the organization is to kill innocent human beings.”

The measure came few days after the European Parliament urged the euro bloc to take action against Hizbullah in a vote that drew immediate criticism from the Lebanese group.

“Hizbullah is astonished at the European Parliament resolution, which was taken under the US and Israeli pressures, especially this resolution runs counter to the European principles of freedom and democracy,” it said in a statement dated March 11.

But the resistance group does enjoy increasing popularity among the Lebanese of all walks of life.

The government and opposition figures are on board that the group should not be disarmed, refusing the US designation.

MP Bahiya Hariri, the sister of slain ex-premier Rafiq Al-Hariri, hailed Hizbullah's armed struggle against the Israeli occupation of Lebanese territories.

“We insist on building together with them the future of great Lebanon,” she was quoted as saying by Reuters.

Thanks to resistance operations carried out by Hizbullah fighters, Israeli occupation troops were forced on May 24, 2000 to withdraw from a large territory in southern Lebanon, occupied by Israel in 1978.

Hizbullah has broad popular support, notably in the south. It is also a political party that has 13 seats in the Lebanese parliament.

The US already considers Hizbullah a “foreign terrorist organization.”

On Friday, December 17, it placed Al-Manar television, which is associated with Hizbullah, on the Terrorist Exclusion List, prompting an end to its transmission across the country.

However, several EU countries, including France, Spain and Britain, have been reluctant to comply with the US demands, out of concern with upsetting delicate Middle East negotiations.

“We thank Syria and pray that Syria will remain the fortress of heroes and live in dignity,” Nasrallah told the sea of people.

The Hizbullah leader also reserved tough words to both US President George W. Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

“I tell Bush, [his Secretary of State Condoleezza] Rice that they are wrong if they think that Lebanese will be pitted against each other. Lebanon will never die, Lebanon will never be defeated, Lebanon will remain Lebanon with its Arab identity,” he said, to cheers from hundreds of thousand of supporters.

“And I advise Sharon, Mofaz and Shalom to give up any hope or dreams about Lebanon. Our soldiers have paid the ultimate price and we are now much stronger than you think. Needless to say that the brave Palestinians have defeated you with bare hands,” Nasrallah said.

The United States and France have been piling pressure on Damascus to withdraw forces from neighboring Lebanon.