Tom Barrack

International Community Reacts to Israeli Strikes in Syria

The United States' special envoy for Syria on Wednesday called on all parties to step back and engage in dialogue for a lasting ceasefire in Syria following clashes with Druze factions in the south and Israeli strikes in Damascus. "We unequivocally condemn violence against civilians in Sweida... All parties must step back and engage in ...

Barrack: Hezbollah Must Hand Over Weapons That Threaten Israel

Washington made clear on Monday, via its envoy Tom Barrack, that the disarmament of Hezbollah should focus specifically on “weapons that threaten Israel’s security.” Barrack stressed in a statement that the United States continues to classify Hezbollah as a terrorist organization and called on the Lebanese government to take the lead in ...

The Syrian Bogeyman: A Cover for Hezbollah’s Weapons

As part of its ongoing campaign to justify keeping its weapons outside state authority, Hezbollah has been circulating claims of Syrian troop build-ups along Lebanon’s eastern border and alleged infiltrations of extremist fighters into Lebanese territory. On multiple occasions, the Lebanese Army has swiftly and unequivocally denied these reports ...

Barrack Warns Lebanon Faces “Existential Threat” if Hezbollah Issue Left Unresolved

US Special Envoy Tom Barrack warned that Lebanon faces an "existential threat" if it fails to address the issue of Hezbollah’s weapons in an interview with the Emirati media outlet The National published Friday. He called on Lebanese leaders to take urgent action or risk the country falling back under regional influence. After ...

Cabinet Approves New Administrative, Judicial Appointments

The Council of Ministers approved several administrative and judicial appointments during a regular session convened on Friday at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, chaired by President of the Republic Joseph Aoun.  The Cabinet appointed Judge Maher Shaito as the new Financial Public Prosecutor. Mazen Soueid was appointed Chairman of the ...

How Lebanon Missed Its Future While Syria Negotiates Its Own

I have always believed that geography makes history. But in the Middle East, history tends to repeat itself with a sectarian accent and a militia soundtrack. And this is tragically evident in Lebanon, a country that once had everything, and today, has nothing but memory and myth. While the world watches US envoy Tom Barrack shuttle between ...

Barrack Warns: Time to Choose Change or Be Left Behind

U.S. envoy Tom Barrack reiterated on Tuesday that the disarmament of Hezbollah and other factions remains a sovereign Lebanese matter, emphasizing that while Washington is committed to supporting the country, it will not wait indefinitely for Lebanon to make the right decisions. Speaking in an interview with LBCI, Barrack reminded that the United ...

Lebanon Submits Demands as Barrack Warns Against Proxy Conflict

US presidential envoy Thomas Barrack is expected to brief President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Lebanon’s proposed roadmap for a comprehensive resolution to its internal crisis, submitted to him by President Joseph Aoun. According to sources familiar with the visit, Barrack found that the core conclusions of the Lebanese ...

Geagea Calls on Government to Lead Talks on Hezbollah’s Disarmament

The leader of the Lebanese Forces, Samir Geagea, has called on the government to take the lead in responding to a US roadmap aimed at helping Lebanon gradually resolve its border issue with Israel—which maintains a military presence at five points—and to tackle the issue of illegal weapons within its territory. In a statement released ...

Barrack Calls for Unity in Lebanon, Citing ‘Historic Moment’ for National Renewal

US Special Envoy and Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack described the current period as “a historic moment to supersede the strained confessionalism of the past and finally fulfill Lebanon’s true hope of one country, one people and one army.” In a post on X on Saturday, Barrack emphasized that “Lebanon’s hope awakens and the opportunity ...

Hezbollah Ambiguous on Disarmament and Disbanding of Its Security and Financial Arms

According to Lebanese sources, the anticipated response to the message conveyed by US envoy Tom Barrack regarding the disarmament of Hezbollah is expected to align with what Barrack stated in an interview with The New York Times, specifically the application of a carrot-and-stick approach toward the group. Lebanon's official response, however, ...