US Official Calls Hezbollah 'A-Team of Terrorists'

http://news.findlaw.com/news/s/20020905/mideastusahezbollahdc.html ^ | September 11, 2002 | Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage

[Drknows]

US OFFICIAL CALLS HEZBOLLAH 'A-TEAM OF TERRORISTS'

A top U.S. diplomat took aim at Hezbollah on Thursday, saying the United States would go after the group he called "the A-team of terrorists." "Hezbollah made the A-team of terrorists, maybe al Qaeda is actually the B-team," Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said in answer to a questions after a luncheon speech. "We're going to go after them just like a high school wrestler goes after opponents, we're going to take them down one at a time," Armitage said.

What The State Department Says About Hezbollah a/ka/ Hizballah [PDF] http://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/dos/trrpt2001/dostrrpt2001p6.pdf

[My2Cents]

Sort of an odd statement, demoting Al Queda to the B-Team status. But with Al Queda pretty well in tatters, perhaps Hezbullah should be elevated. Clear warning to Syria.

[colorado tanker]

Interesting wrestling analogy. I guess Armitage is already looking for the next "take down" after Iraq.

[adam stevens]

BUMP! These scumbags need to be close to the top of our list.

[Lion's Cub]

I consider the US State Department a foriegn source.

[Aggie Mama]

Hmmmm. I just heard last night that they were concerned about members of Hezbollah that slipped across the Canadian border last month.

[Principled]

I guess Armitage is already looking for the next "take down" after Iraq.

Yes, this is the message. Indeed, once we take one of them down (supposedly Irag), the others will get in line. And if we don't take one of them down, they'll keep coming for us.

I believe the bush team is using this major assertion in the formation of policy.

Smart, IMHO

[colorado tanker]

"Smart, IMHO." Roger that!

[rmlew]

Sort of an odd statement, demoting Al Queda to the B-Team status. But with Al Queda pretty well in tatters, perhaps Hezbullah should be elevated. Clear warning to Syria.
And Iran.

[Grampa Dave]

Excellent find! Maybe we have intel that shows that al Qaeda is no longer #1.

This comment should make Assad Junior and his thugs have night and day terrors for awhile:

"Hezbollah made the A-team of terrorists, maybe al Qaeda is actually the B-team," Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said in answer to a questions after a luncheon speech. "We're going to go after them just like a high school wrestler goes after opponents, we're going to take them down one at a time," Armitage said.

Who says that Iraq has to be first. We could dust off Assad and about 3 levels down the Hezbollah A-team list, and Syria would fall like dominoes.

[Aggie Mama]

I also think this is a pretty good indicator that they think Osama is dead.

[Turk2]

Good morning Uncle Sam.

[EricT.]

Uhh....does that mean that Hizbullah drives around in a black van, spray massive amounts of gunfire without hitting a single person where ever they go, break their pilot out of the looney bin when needed, wear lots of gold chains, and can be counted upon to build a makeshift tank on a weekly basis?

[a_Turk]

Ditto...

[Honorary Serb]

Whether they're called al Qaeda, Hezbollah, Hamas, Laskar Jihad, KLA/UCK, or whatever the Chechen bandits call themselves, they're all the international islamic jihad, they all show up on every jihad front in the world, they're all terrorists, and they're ALL THE ENEMY!!!!

[Kenton]

This warms the cockles of my heart... anybody remember the movie "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid", after the Pinkerton detectives came after them? Every time the stuck their heads out of a hole, there was the posse, headed their way. "Who ARE those guys?" Butch wanted to know.

That's how I want these Muzzies to feel.

DOOMED.

[gaspar]

Actually, it is a clear warning to Iran which has funded Hizbollah for more than two decades.