Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack continued throughout the week to make increasingly conflicting demands and pledges to Lebanon. On Wednesday, he brought back the demand for disarmament of Hezbollah, now insisting that not only does this have to happen within 90 days, but it’s actually Israel that set the deadline for him.
Barrack warned that if Hezbollah wasn’t disarmed, Israeli attacks would continue. He made clear on Monday, however, that even if Hezbollah was disarmed Israel could keep attacking Lebanon, as he considers the US to have “no business” trying to get them to stop.
The narrative of the demand was originally that Lebanon would disarm Hezbollah in return for Israel ending the attacks. Lebanon was holding out for an actual assurance that Israel would actually stop, however, as the US promised Israel would stop attacking and withdraw from Lebanon in the November ceasefire, and ultimately they did neither.
US Ambassador to Turkey Thomas Barrack | Image from Reuters
Barrack responded to the rejection of the unilateral disarmament earlier this month by insisting Lebanon might be conquered by Syria and Israel if they don’t “get in line,” though Monday he reversed course, insisting that there was no punishment associated with the refusal.
By Tuesday, however, he reversed that once again, insisting he might withdraw the entire Lebanon file if they don’t capitulate to the demand. By Wednesday he was back to presenting the disarmament not only as a demand, but the only way to get Israel to stop attacking, which again he insisted Monday that they wouldn’t be compelled to do anyway.
That wasn’t the beginning and the end of the new Barrack narrative though, making multiple bizarre claims about the Lebanon conflict, while insisting that he is confident the current Lebanese government must comply with the disarmament demand, saying they have an opportunity and that Hezbollah “propaganda” is the only thing holding it back.
Regarding Israel’s active invasion and occupation of parts of Lebanon, he insisted Israel had no territorial interest in Lebanon, and asked “who would be dumb enough to believe otherwise.” He also mocked the ongoing Israeli occupation of the Shebaa Farms, which are recognized as part of Lebanon, insisting it was “a land of no value.” He argued that if Israel really wanted Lebanon, they would’ve taken it over “in a heartbeat” so they must not want it.
He then went on to claim that Hezbollah made up the idea that Syria might take over parts of Lebanon as an excuse to not disarm, saying “the ‘evil Syrians’ can’t even make it outside Damascus.” Syria has launched multiple cross-border raids into Lebanon this year, and it has been reported that Israel offered to let Syria conquer the entire north of Lebanon as part of a normalization deal between the two of them. That deal was said to also return the Golan to Syria on paper but let Israel keep much of it at any rate under some sort of lease deal.
Barrack also predicted that the US and Iran would soon make a deal and it would come with conditions on Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis of Yemen. He said Lebanon should therefore not worry about Iran and should just do what the US wants, adding Hezbollah has an opportunity to normalize relations with Israel as well.
Barrack also praised the Islamist government in neighboring Syria, insisting anyone who is critical of President Ahmed al-Sharaa should present an alternative. He insisted that this was a time to “move forward” and contrasted the donations being sent to Sharaa to the money that isn’t coming into Lebanon, likely related to US demands that Gulf states not help Lebanon rebuild after the 2024 Israeli invasion.
Hezbollah reiterated that they have no intention of unilaterally disarming just because the US demands it. They expressed openness to transferring arms to the Lebanese military in the context of a national defense strategy, but added that they “are a people who do not surrender.”
