U.S. slams Hezbollah actions in Egypt, urges group to disarm

The U.S. condemned Hezbollah's involvement in Egypt's internal affairs and insisted that the organization must immediately disband its weapons, Israel Radio reported Friday.

U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice said that the American administration does not distinguish between the Lebanese group's diplomatic wing and its military wing, and will not maintain contact with such groups until they disarm completely.

In a closed-door discussion of the UN's Security Council, Rice said that Lebanon's June elections must be free and fair, and devoid of external pressure, violence, and fears of armed militias.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon had also said that Hezbollah's admission to providing assistance and aid to Hamas in Egypt was deeply troubling.

Rice's comments come after a UN report released Thursday affirmed that Hezbollah militants had planned to carry out "hostile operations" in Egypt while maintaining a significant force and weapon arsenals in their strongholds in Lebanon.

The report, which dealt with a 2004 UN resolution for an arms embargo on all militia groups outside the Beirut government, said there had been alarming reports of large amounts of weapons reaching those groups while Hezbollah leaders continued to "assert that they have acquired more sophisticated military technology."

The report, written by UN special envoy to the Middle East Terge Roed-Larsen, said information indicated that in recent weeks, "there has been a growing concern that Hezbollah has engaged in clandestine and illegal militant activities beyond Lebanese territory."

He said Egypt's general prosecutor on April 8 arrested 49 people based on information from the country's State Security investigation alleging that they were assigned by Hezbollah "to plan and carry out hostile operations on Egyptian soil."

Roed-Larsen said Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah had acknowledged the detention of a Hezbollah operative and Egyptian authorities had confirmed the existence of a Hezbollah cell within their territory.

"The government of Egypt has shared with the UN secretary-general a number of details concerning the plans, resources and actions of the cell as well and the material and devices confiscated," Roed- Larsen said in the report to the UN Security Council.

It cited "alarming reports" that the Iran-backed Hezbollah had received sophisticated military technology in a breach of the UN arms embargo on militias operating in Lebanon in violation of Lebanese sovereignty.

The U.S. has accused Iran and Syria of providing military assistance to Hezbollah in its fight against Israel.

The UN Security Council has been urging the Lebanese government to disarm paramilitary groups and restore its sovereignty over the territory.