Congressman urges US to investigate Obama-Hezbollah accusations

By JPOST.COM STAFF

DECEMBER 19, 2017 17:05

Updated: DECEMBER 20, 2017 12:38

President Barack Obama during a news conference in the White House. ‘What was the role played by countries like the US in the Arab Spring?’ (photo credit: REUTERS) — President Barack Obama during a news conference in the White House. ‘What was the role played by countries like the US in the Arab Spring?’

(photo credit: REUTERS)

Republican Congressman Robert Pittenger is urging the United States congress to investigate the validity of Politico's report claiming that the Obama administration blocked a major investigation into Hezbollah's drug trafficking operations and effectively protected Iran's regional proxy.

"These revelations are shocking and infuriating," the congressman from North Carolina told Fox News. "While American soldiers were bravely fighting ISIS terrorists, with some paying the ultimate price, the Obama administration reportedly was protecting Hezbollah terrorists who were funding themselves by trafficking illegal drugs."

The exposé, published on Sunday on Politico, reported that former president Barack Obama blocked the efforts of the US Drug Enforcement Agency in order to ensure that Iran would sign the 2015 nuclear deal.

The US Drug Enforcement Administration launched Project Cassandra in 2008 to track Hezbollah's large-scale crime operation, backed by Iran, which was worth $1 billion annually.

According to the report, the US Justice Department refused to file charges against the players involved.

“The administration also rejected repeated efforts by Project Cassandra members to charge Hezbollah’s military wing as an ongoing criminal enterprise under a federal Mafia-style racketeering statute, task force members say,” according to the Politico report.

In addition, the report claimed that the administration blocked the Cassandra Project from receiving a number of legal tools that would have helped them halt Hezbollah's illegal activities.

Israeli politicians slammed former US president Barack Obama on Monday following the release of the exposé.

Yesh Atid chairman Yair Lapid went so far as to say that "Obama must return his Nobel Peace Prize" if the story is correct.

Lahav Harkov and Tovah Lazaroff contributed to this report.