The mention by the American envoy of “animal” behavior is expanding the indignation of the press corps
Beirut – Lebanon’s often frantic press corps was angry this week for comments from Tom Barrack, the American special envoy of Syria, who warned journalists against “animal” behavior and told them “to act civilized”.
Faced with a media melee at a press conference held in the Lebanese capital on Tuesday in Beirut with a delegation from the congress, Barrack advanced on the podium and told journalists who “have a different rules”.
“The moment when it starts to become chaotic – as an animal – we have left,” he said. “Do you want to know what’s going on?” ACT Civilized, Act Kind, Act tolerant, because this is the problem of what is happening in the region. “
Barrack is a real estate investor of Lebanese origin who, as well as his tasks in Syria, serves as an American ambassador to Türkiye.
He exhibits a hollow and condescending mentality which considers Lebanese not as partners but as a “root” which must be disciplined
– Diana Moukalled, Lebanese journalist
Barrack was accompanied by the assistant shipment Morgan Ortagus, Senator Lindsey Graham (Rs.C.), Senator Jeanne Shaheen (DN.H.) and representative Joe Wilson (RS.C.) and visits Beirut to put pressure on the government to make his disarmament project Hezbollah, the Lebanese military group supported by Iran.
The atmosphere in the room was not particularly noisy, but apparently, it was not calm enough for a clearly irritated barracks, who said: “Do you think it’s fun for us? Do you think it’s economically beneficial for Morgan and I to be here, endure this madness?
One of the objectives of the press conference was to announce that Israel did not intend to occupy Lebanon and that Saudi Arabia and Qatar were ready to invest in an economic zone in southern Lebanon to provide jobs to Hezbollah veterans. But for many Lebanese, Barrack’s comments took the spotlight.
Journalists went to social media to excite the barracks to act as a “19th century colonial commissioner”, as a rabid journalist Hala Jaber, said.
“He exhibits a hollow and condescending mentality which sees the Lebanese not as partners but as” rably “who must be disciplined,” wrote Diana Moukalled, a Lebanese journalist who is a founding partner in the local Daraj media, adding that anyone who wants to help Lebanon should first respect the press.
“Insults are not a negotiation tool,” wrote Moukalled. “We are not accessories for a diplomatic show, and whoever requires Lebanon to become a strong state must endure the questions of its press, whatever their opinion.”
Later Tuesday, the Lebanese president Joseph Aoun’s office published an oblique declaration expressing “regret for the statements made inadvertently from his platform by one of his guests today”, while reaffirming his “full appreciation for all journalists”.
The Union of Journalists of Lebanon condemned Barrack’s remarks as reflecting “a colonial arrogance rooted towards the peoples of the region”.
“We demand that Mr. Barrack will apologize official and public for his actions to journalists, and we demand that the United States Embassy in Beirut takes a position concerning these unacceptable actions with the media,” the statement said. He called for a boycott of press conferences involving a barracks until he apologized.
It would not be the first time that the 78 -year -old barracks, 78 years old, has displayed a less than royal vision of the region – in a July interview with the New York Times, he declared that the administration had “little patience for the resistance of the region to help” – but the fury now arrives at a delicate moment for American diplomacy in the region. Washington pushes the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah, with the hope that Israel and Lebanon would normalize relations.
Hezbollah, which the United States designates a terrorist group, fought Israel after Hamas attacked on October 7, 2023, in a war which turned into a full-fledged Israeli invasion of Lebanon at the end of last year. After a ceasefire in November, Israel withdrew from most of southern Lebanon, with the exception of five points on the Lebanese side of the border. Meanwhile, Israel continued almost daily attacks, which, according to the Israeli army, are necessary to prevent Hezbollah from reconstructing its arsenal.
This month, the Lebanese cabinet instructed the army to make plans to disarm Hezbollah. The group denounced the cabinet’s decision, claiming that it will not give up arms while Israel still occupies land and has not fully implemented the ceasefire agreement in November. Critics accuse the Lebanese government of being subjected to Washington – with Barrack tirade adding to their arguments.
“We strongly condemn the logic of American arrogance and its condescension towards our media professionals,” said Ibrahim Musawi, a legislator affiliated with Hezbollah who heads the media and communications committee of Parliament.
But he also reserved a certain anger in the Lebanese government, saying that it was another series in his “waste of national sovereignty”.
The barracks has not yet commented.
