BEIRUT, Lebanon, March 16 (UPI) -- Talking with the political wing of Hezbollah is part of the wider engagement with the Lebanese government, said British government spokesman John Wilks.
"We support the Lebanese government in Lebanon," he said. "How can we perform this role if we do not hold contacts with all the parties represented in the government?"
On March 5, London said it has contacted the political wing of the Lebanese Hezbollah in an effort to encourage the group to abandon violence in favor of political dialogue in the fractured country.
The move is seen in line with rhetoric from Washington supporting the courting of moderates in the region as U.S. President Barack Obama has embraced a policy of engagement following years of isolation under his predecessor, George W. Bush.
"Britain sensed a new era has begun in the region. Obama promised many changes -- not in terms of U.S. goals or vital and strategic interests -- but in terms of achieving them, and this necessitates a new trend in handling the world," An-Nahar senior columnist Sarkis Naoum told Hezbollah's al-Manar news station.
Washington last week, however, said it was "unhappy" with London's decision, saying the United States was not prepared to follow suit.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah said his group would put forth its own set of conditions should Washington reverse course, noting the "new" policy was a reflection of U.S. failures in the region.
