This is Beirut - Hezbollah

The Middle East: Recalibrations, Fractures and a Coming Storm

Salam El Zaatari, 24/07 10:00 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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By now, we should know that when the Middle East falls silent, it’s rarely a good sign. As if history itself were pausing for breath, the region today is locked in what I call a “violent pause”—not peace, not war, but something infinitely more dangerous: indecision. The past six months have redrawn the map of alliances and threats, but ...

Caught Between the Hot Potato and the Pressure Cooker

Marc Saikali, 24/07 08:05 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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Tom Barrack left exactly as he came, with the same uncertainties and delays. The American envoy must have been tearing his hair out (figuratively speaking) at the careless attitude he observed. The hot potato of disarmament has officially been passed on. “It’s an internal matter. The United States does not negotiate with an organization they ...

Barrack to This is Beirut: There Is a Sense of Readiness in Lebanon Towards Normalisation with Israel

Tylia El Helou, 23/07 14:15 - Reading : 4 minute(s)

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As Lebanon teeters on the edge of another potential war, with Hezbollah’s arms drawing the country closer to full-scale conflict with Israel, a more existential question arises: Why does the Lebanese state continue to abdicate its constitutional responsibilities? Why is the government still unwilling, decades after the Taif Agreement, to assert ...

Israeli Unit Briefly Infiltrates South Lebanon Village

This is Beirut, 23/07 12:00 - Reading : less than a minute

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At dawn on Wednesday, an Israeli infantry unit of approximately twenty soldiers crossed into Lebanese territory, infiltrating the village of Mari in the Hasbaya district. The incursion was launched from the vicinity of the border town of Abbasiye. On the ground, Israeli forces searched multiple homes, both occupied and abandoned, conducting ...

Barrack Calls for Clarity on Weapons, Warns of Escalation

This is Beirut, 22/07 22:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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United States envoy Tom Barrack called on the Lebanese government on Tuesday to make a clear decision on how to implement disarmament, warning that time is running out to avoid military escalation. In an interview with Al Jadeed TV, Barrack said, “President Donald Trump wants to help Lebanon in these difficult times,” noting that “there is ...

Barrack: “America Will Not Abandon Lebanon”

This is Beirut, 22/07 13:15 - Reading : less than a minute

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US envoy Tom Barrack expressed optimism about Lebanon’s future on Tuesday, urging the Lebanese people to “have hope” amid ongoing tensions. Following a meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri at Ain al-Tineh, Barrack described the talks as “excellent,” noting that both sides are working toward achieving long-term stability. “We ...

Barrack to Lebanon: Address Your Internal Issues!

Johnny Kortbawi, 22/07 09:00 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

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Tom Barrack’s third visit to Lebanon warrants a careful reading between the lines—coming, as it does, after Beirut conveyed its message to Washington and received a US response. On his first trip, the US emissary was notably diplomatic and optimistic, speaking at length about Lebanon’s prospects. But that optimism was tempered ...

Tom Barrack Says US Supports Lebanon Without Any Demands

This is Beirut, 21/07 22:35 - Reading : 2 minute(s)

Lebanon Barrack Hezbollah Reforms Ceasefire UNIFIL

In an exclusive interview with Tele Liban, US envoy Tom Barrack stressed that the United States has made “no demands” on Lebanon and is only offering assistance at the country’s request. “We came to help, not to dictate,” Barrack said, clarifying that Washington’s role is to support Lebanon in resolving internal and regional tensions, ...

Between the Dilemma of Disarming Hezbollah and the Challenge of Rising Israeli Tensions

Amal Chmouny, 21/07 20:00 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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The dialogue between the US and Lebanon concerning Hezbollah's disarmament has entered a crucial phase, characterized by urgency, skepticism and regional complexities. US envoy Tom Barrack emphasized the need for rapid and structured progress, a sentiment echoed in messages from Washington. However, as events unfold, the inherent challenges of ...

Confusion in Syria

David Hale , 21/07 17:00 - Reading : 5 minute(s)

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Recent developments in Syria are causing surprise and confusion. In a bold move, President Trump and his administration acquiesced to requests from the Turkish and Saudi leadership and lifted most sanctions on the Ahmed al-Sharaa regime, his Salafist HTS movement, and Syria itself. It did so without conditionality, without much effort to ...

Barrack: Hezbollah Disarmament Is a Lebanese Internal Matter

This is Beirut, 21/07 13:10 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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US presidential envoy Tom Barrack arrived in Beirut on Sunday for his third official visit to Lebanon in recent weeks, signaling a ramp-up in diplomatic efforts to ease escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah. Barrack began his meetings on Monday with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at Baabda Palace, accompanied by US Ambassador Lisa ...

Syria: Balancing State Authority and Plural Sensitivities

Michel Touma, 21/07 09:30 - Reading : 3 minute(s)

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In the wake of the Soviet Union’s collapse in the early 1990s, French author and political analyst Alain Minc published a book with a strikingly evocative title that captured the spirit of the moment: The Revenge of Nations. He argued that decades of highly centralized communist rule had failed to erase the national sentiments of populations ...

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