After the United States and Europe presented a united front in pressing for Syria's withdrawal from Lebanon before elections and for all militias including Hezbollah to be disarmed, differences have emerged over how to respond to Hezbollah's big win at the ballot box in southern Lebanon and its possible role in a new government.

The Bush administration already considers Hezbollah a terrorist organization, and it has been urging the EU to follow suit, obliging member-states to seize its assets and block its funds. U.S. officials hoped for a breakthrough after the May 29-June 19 elections and for a fresh push to disarm Hezbollah, according to congressional aides involved in the deliberations.

But in interviews this week an EU diplomat in Washington said of U.S. efforts to get Hezbollah blacklisted, ``We don't have unanimity. And Syria's withdraw from Lebanon, if anything, has made that unanimity less likely.''

Another European diplomat said that it would be ``very hard to put them on the (terrorist) list'' in light of the election results.

``Coming off the elections and Hezbollah's success, there's going to be a lot of resistance in Europe to taking further action on Hezbollah,'' said Matthew Levitt, a terrorism expert at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

Hezbollah picked up two additional seats in the parliamentary elections, bringing its total to 14. And for the first time, the group has chosen to join the cabinet and asked Lebanon's new prime minister for two ministerial posts.

Viewed by many in Lebanon as a resistance force, Hezbollah played a key role in forcing Israel to end its 22-year occupation of south Lebanon. Before it decided to join the government, it had regarded its main role as fighting the Israeli occupation.

MILITARY RESPONSE

David Siegel, an Israeli Embassy spokesman in Washington, accused Hezbollah of ``actively seeking to torpedo'' Israeli's planned withdrawal from Gaza, citing a guerrilla attack this week that killed an Israeli officer and prompting a military response from Israel.

``Our position on Hezbollah is unchanged. Hezbollah should be disarmed,'' a senior Bush administration official said.

U.S. officials said they would work with the new Lebanese government in the coming months to fulfill U.N. demands for Hezbollah to be disarmed. President Bush has held out the prospect of legitimacy for Hezbollah if it did so.

But Lebanon's new prime minister, Fouad Siniora, said the fate of Hezbollah's weapons were an internal Lebanese matter, and the parliament's pro-Syrian speaker indicated that he would oppose efforts to disarm the guerrillas, as called for under the U.N. resolution.

It was also unclear how hard Europe would be willing to push.

In March, the European Parliament branded Hezbollah a ``terrorist'' group in a nonbinding resolution, and urged European Union ministers to take action against the organization.

But several EU governments including France, Spain and Britain balked, citing concerns about upsetting delicate Middle East negotiations.

An EU diplomat said the ``prospects of them being put on the (terrorist) list have become longer now.''

Similar differences have emerged over dealing with the Palestinian militant group Hamas after its strong showing in Palestinian municipal elections.

EU officials have had some contacts with members of Hamas. The White House says it does not deal with Hamas, but administration officials have not rule out contacts with politicians affiliated with the group.

Hamas is expected to pose a serious challenge to the secular ruling Fatah party in an upcoming legislative election. (Reuters)