Letter urges U.S. work to disarm Hezbollah

BEIRUT, Lebanon, Dec. 7 (UPI) -- Members of the U.S. House urged the Obama administration to work on disarming Hezbollah and other Mideast issues, a letter to the administration said.

In their letter to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the 31 lawmakers also said the United States should seek greater U.N. accountability in enforcing its resolution that ended Israel's war on Lebanon in the summer of 2006 and work to prevent Iran from using Lebanese Shiites in any confrontation with Israel, The Lebanon Daily Star reported Monday.

"In light of the clear violations of U.N. Security Council resolutions, we ask what actions the administration is taking to ensure the U.N. addresses these violations," the letter read. "We must seek to support stronger multilateral efforts to disarm the terrorist group Hezbollah and clear southern Lebanon of Iranian weapons."

The letter, sponsored by Reps. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., and Steve Israel, D-N.Y., said the situation in southern Lebanon deteriorated after the 2006 war and the Lebanese Cabinet gave Hezbollah veto power on major decisions.

The letter also warned that the Iranian government could try to draw attention from its nuclear program by inciting extremists into carrying out militant activities in southern Lebanon, the Daily Star reported.