Archive August 28, 2025

Days after his comments sparked outrage in the Middle East, American diplomat Tom Barrack regrets calling Lebanese journalists “animalistic.”

Barrack reaffirmed his call for Lebanese reporters to be “civilized” in a Thursday interview with Mario Nawfal, a social media personality.

He did acknowledge that his remarks to the reporters who yelled questions after his meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun earlier this week should have been more “tolerant.”

I didn’t use the word “animalist” in a derogatory way when I was writing. Simply put, I want to know: Can we relax? Can we exhibit kindness and tolerance? As the ambassador to Turkiye and special envoy for Syria and Lebanon, Barrack urged people to “be civilized”.

“But when the media is just doing their job,” the statement was inappropriate.

After meeting with Aoun at the presidential palace close to Beirut, Barrack, who is of Lebanese descent, addressed the remarks he made on Tuesday.

He was confronted by reporters in the briefing room, where he was reportedly irritated by a barrage of questions.

Barrack asked that you “please be quiet for a moment.”

“And I want to tell you something: We’re gone as soon as this starts to become chaotic, like animalistic.” You want to know what’s going on, then. Because of the regional situation, act civilized, kind, and tolerant.

Some critics claim that Barrack’s remarks best describe Washington’s subdued attitude toward the region.

Hezbollah being disarmed

Before or after diplomatic meetings, reporters frequently shout questions at officials. The act is referred to as a journalistic “spray” in the US.

In an effort to secure a deal that would force Israel to fully withdraw from the country and stop its daily attacks, Barrack has repeatedly traveled to Lebanon as part of a campaign.

The Lebanese government passed a resolution last month tasked the army with developing a strategy to end Hezbollah’s weapons supply by the year’s end.

Hezbollah criticized the decision, saying that it would treat the resolution as though it didn’t exist.

Israel, which receives billions of dollars in US aid, has continued to bomb Lebanon daily, effectively preventing south Lebanon’s citizens from returning to their border towns, many of which have been destroyed by the bombings.

Lebanon claims sovereignty over the disputed Shebaa Farms region, which the Israeli military still occupies, along with five other areas in Lebanese territory.

Despite Israeli violations, Hezbollah, which was devastated by the conflict from last year that left its top political and military leaders dead, has largely adhered to the ceasefire agreement.

However, it has rejected calls for disarmament, arguing that Lebanon’s weapons shield Israel’s expansionist objectives. The group has accused the Lebanese government of adhering to Israeli and US laws.

Hezbollah asserts that southern Lebanon cannot be defended by the Lebanese military alone.

However, the Lebanese government has argued that the only entity with weapons in the country must be the state, with the government insisting that only the Lebanese Armed Forces can protect all of its citizens.

Lebanon, which has endured years of suffering from security and economic crises, is at risk of internal conflict due to the impasse.

What was Hezbollah’s response?

Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc member Ibrahim Moussawi earlier this week criticized Barrack’s remarks, calling them “foolishness and arrogance” of the US approach to Lebanon.

According to Moussawi, “This envoy embodies the reality of the United States of America and the essence of the barbaric, aggressive philosophy upon which it was founded.”

He also criticized the Lebanese government for failing to take a strong stance against Barrack, including by calling the US ambassador to Beirut.

In response to protests over his statements, Barack had already cut short a trip to south Lebanon, where Hezbollah enjoys widespread support.

Barrack has also caused controversy in Lebanon before, though this was not the first time.

He suggested that Lebanon might join greater Syria, underlining the dangers the nation is facing.

Lebanon is referred to as our beach resort by Syrians. Therefore, we must proceed. And I am aware of how irate the Lebanese are. He claimed, “I find it irritable.

A Western official’s rare comment about the viability of Lebanon as a nation was made in response to the assertion.

In a later statement, Barack claimed that the US’s position is to support Syria and Lebanon as two “equal and sovereign” neighbors.