Barrack says disarming Hezbollah requires 'carrots and sticks'

U.S. envoy Tom Barrack has called the ceasefire that ended the war between Israel and the Hezbollah in November “a total failure” because Israel is still bombing Lebanon and Hezbollah is accused of violating the agreement’s terms.

Last month, according to the New York Times, he delivered a proposal from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Lebanon’s government with specific objectives and timelines on how to disarm Hezbollah and fix the economy. He is expected to receive a reply next week.

Disarming Hezbollah would require “carrots and sticks,” Barrack told the New York Times, and involves the Lebanese Army searching house to house for weapons.

To give Hezbollah’s supporters and Lebanese southerners a stake in the process, Barrack said the United States is seeking financial help from Saudi Arabia and Qatar that would focus on reconstruction in parts of southern Lebanon battered during the war.

“If the Shiites of Lebanon are getting something from this, they will cooperate with it,” he said.