The congressional delegation has already left Washington on a Mideast tour, which will include Jordan, Syria, Israel, Egypt and Lebanon. The team includes Senator John Kerry, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Howard Berman, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee and Senator Benjamin L. Cardin, chairman of the Terrorism and Homeland Security Subcommittee.

Addressing the congressmen in a statement, the six organizations asked them "to deliver a clear message to the leaders of Syria on the need to respect Lebanon's sovereignty, independence and the dignity of the Lebanese people," An-Nahar reported.

The statement said the delegation must pressure Syria into implementing "U.N. resolutions, including 1559, 1680 and 1701, to speed up the demarcation of the (Lebanese-Syrian) borders and to cooperate with the Special Tribunal for Lebanon."

The Lebanese-American groups singled out Resolution 1701, which calls for the "disarmament of armed organizations in Lebanon and an end to the arming of parties" in the country. Damascus must also be asked to resolve the file of missing Lebanese in Syria as soon as possible, the statement said.

During upcoming talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Kerry is expected to discuss Syria's role in Lebanon, sources close to the senator told An-Nahar. The sources said that Berman is also expected to "conduct telephone calls with Lebanese leaders during his stay in Jordan before heading to Damascus."