BEIRUT - The United States makes no bones about its distaste for the militant Islamic party Hezbollah but is showing signs of resignation to the group's growing political role in Lebanon despite its violent roots.

The inclusion of a Hezbollah member in Lebanon's new cabinet did not stop Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice from pledging full US support for Beirut during a surprise visit here Friday.

"The world understands that there is a process of political reconciliation that is under way in Lebanon and that that is important," she told a joint news conference with prime minister-designate Fuad Siniora.

Rice stressed Washington had changed neither its attitude nor its policy towards Hezbollah, founded in 1982 to oppose Israel's occupation of southern Lebanon and linked to a campaign of bombings and kidnappings.

She said the Hezbollah, or Party of God, had a "history of blood to it" and signaled no intention to remove the Shiite Muslim group from a US list of foreign terrorist organizations where it was placed in 1997.

But Rice was also clear the presence of a Hezbollah cabinet member would not deter the United States from working with Lebanon's first government installed since the withdrawal of Syrian troops in April.

"I believe that we can support, both through international organizations and through direct support, the economic and political reforms that will be undertaken," the chief US diplomat said.

Washington has hailed Lebanon's parliamentary elections in May and June as a showcase of Middle Eastern democracy and shrugged off the strong showing by Hezbollah and its ally Amal, which won 26 of 128 seats.

But the Americans had no ready response when the electoral process was crowned by the naming of Hezbollah politician Mohammed Fneish as energy minister, giving the group new political respectability.

A senior State Department official thought the US administration could work around the nomination, adding, "The minister of foreign affairs is not a member of the Hezbollah party -- thank God."

The official, who asked not to be named, told reporters the Americans would have nothing to do with Fneish immediately but added the teaser, "We'll see how it goes in the future."

How easy it will be to boycott a minister remains to be seen. Another senior US official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, was unable to say how Washington could cooperate with Beirut on energy matters without Fneish.

Rice on Friday kept up the pressure on the Lebanese government to disarm the military wing of Hezbollah and other militias in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 1559 past last year.

She said the "new Lebanon" created by the Syrian pullout and the first free elections in decades "is one that does have international obligations that we fully expect to be carried out."

But Siniora suggested it would be a slow process, requiring "serious discussion and dialogue among the Lebanese" as well as "understanding and patience" from the international community.

Hezbollah, which Washington complains is backed by Iran and Syria, is not the only Islamic group complicating President George W. Bush's drive to spread democracy throughout the volatile Middle East.

The hardline Islamic group Hamas, responsible for most of the attacks on Israel, is hoping to score big in Palestinian legislative elections set for January after chalking up good results in municipal polls this year.

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