Letter to Clinton: disarm Hezbollah

Thirty-one members of the House of Representatives have sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton calling on the Obama administration to work toward disarming Hezbollah and clearing southern Lebanon of Iranian-sent weapons.

Led by Reps. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) and Steve Israel (D-N.Y.), the bipartisan group asked Clinton to ensure greater accountability from the United Nations in enforcing Resolution 1701. The measure calls for the disarmament of Hezbollah, more U.N. troops in southern Lebanon and the deployment of Lebanese soldiers there.

Hezbollah has rearmed since its 2006 military campaign against Israel, when Israeli forces cleared southern Lebanon of Hezbollah’s Iranian weapon cache, according to various news reports. — jta