US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Tuesday that a Hezbollah-controlled government in Lebanon would have an impact on relations between the two countries, dpa reported.
"A Hezbollah-controlled government would clearly have an impact on our bilateral relationship with Lebanon," Clinton said after Hezbollah-backed candidate Najib Mikati was appointed prime minister.
The United States has been concerned that increased Hezbollah influence could undermine the special tribunal investigating the 2005 assassination of former prime minister Rafik Hariri. The United States also blacklists Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.
US officials have not said whether the political arrangement would result in an end to US financial assistance to the Lebanese government, but State Department spokesman PJ Crowley said Monday it would be "difficult" to continue if Hezbollah was in power.
Mikati, who is not a member of Hezbollah, has publicly declared that he will lead independently and is not seeking a confrontation with the West. Mikati's rise came after Hezbollah withdrew earlier this month from the national unity government of pro-western then prime minister Saad Hariri, Rafik's son.
The United States views Hezbollah as a proxy for Iran and Syria, two countries suspected of undermining Lebanese sovereignty.
"We believe in Lebanon's sovereignty and an end to outside interference," Clinton told reporters after meeting with Spanish Foreign Minister Trinidad Jimenez. "So as we see what this new government does, we will judge it accordingly."
Clinton warns of "impact" on US relations with Lebanon
US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Tuesday that a Hezbollah-controlled government in Lebanon would have an impact on relations between the two countries, dpa reported.
