US Envoy Barrack Clarifies: 'We Do Not Negotiate With Hezbollah'

US special envoy Tom Barrack walked back remarks that had sparked controversy after he said "there are two people missing from that (negotiating) table — Hezbollah and Iran," which critics read as advocating their inclusion in Israel-Lebanon talks. Barrack said he was "describing the difficulty of the problem, not proposing a new table," adding: "Hezbollah is a designated foreign terrorist organization. We do not negotiate with it, and nothing I said suggests otherwise." He said his comments on Iranian financing of Shiite communities in south Lebanon were analytical, not an endorsement. The episode came alongside separate reporting that the Lebanese Army wants to escort any international team sent to verify Hezbollah's disarmament and Israeli withdrawal in the pilot zones.