April 17, 2009

BEIRUT | The West can no longer ignore Hezbollah and has given assurances it will deal with the militant group if it wins upcoming elections in Lebanon, the Shi'ite movement's deputy chief says.

"Western countries are rushing to speak with us and will do so even more in the future," Sheik Naim Qassem said in an interview with Agence France-Presse.

He added that a number of European countries, as well as the International Monetary Fund, have reassured Hezbollah's leadership that they will not boycott the group if it wins June 7 legislative elections, as was the case with the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which won elections in the Palestinian territories in 2006.

"The ambassador of a key European country also informed us that the U.S. will deal with any government even though they are hoping the [West-backed] ruling majority wins the vote," Mr. Qassem said.

The election is considered important because it will determine whether Lebanon continues to look West or whether it tilts more toward Iran if Hezbollah and its allies emerge victorious.

Washington considers Hezbollah a proxy for Iran and placed the group on its list of terrorist organizations in 1997.

Mr. Qassem, however, stressed that Hezbollah's image has significantly improved in the West.

"They discovered that we accept dialogue … that our resistance is well thought out and … that we are open-minded," the 56-year-old cleric said. "The more they get to know us, the more they will realize the need to respect us."

He also welcomed the change in U.S. administration.

"Things look good now that [former President George W.] Bush is gone and [President] Obama is trying to open up to the world and make up for the mistakes of the previous administration," he said, adding that Hezbollah wants "concrete measures" rather than mere talk from Washington that prove it is sincere.

In a sign that Hezbollah is gaining more legitimacy on the international scene, Britain last month said it was re-establishing contact with the group's political wing.

Washington refuses to make that distinction and considers the group's militant and political wings as one and the same.

Hezbollah and Israel engaged in a devastating war in 2006 that left much of south Lebanon in ruins and killed more than 1,200, mainly Lebanese civilians, as well as 160 Israelis, most of them soldiers.

The militant group has since refused to disarm despite a postwar U.N. resolution that calls for all militias to turn in their weapons. It argues that its arsenal is needed to defend the country against Israel.