US envoy says Lebanese army 'not well-equipped', won't be armed
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US envoy Tom Barrack urges Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah, highlights "Israel’s" greedy ambitions, and calls Middle East peace an "illusion".
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US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack meets with Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam at the government palace in Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025 (AP)
US envoy Tom Barrack outlined US expectations for Lebanon amid growing tensions, urging action against Hezbollah and noting Netanyahu’s willingness to escalate, all while casting doubt on the viability of peace in the Middle East in an interview for Sky News Arabia on Monday.
The US envoy told the outlet that "the situation in Lebanon is very difficult, but we have a good team in power," referring to President Joseph Aoun, who was elected in January after two years of vacancy at the head of state, and Nawaf Salam's government, formed in February.
Exposing "Israel's" greedy ambitions in the region, he admitted that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "does not care about borders or red lines" and "would go anywhere and do whatever he deemed necessary if he felt Israel was threatened."
While stating that Lebanon must clearly declare that it intends to disarm Hezbollah, Tom Barrack commented on the Lebanese army, describing it as "well-meaning" but "not well-equipped, because who are they going to fight?"
He added, "We don't want to arm them. We want to arm them so they can fight Israel? I don't think so, so you're arming them to fight their own people, Hezbollah."
Lebanon is all talk, no action
"Lebanon fears the disarmament of Hezbollah due to what it considers risks of civil war," Barrack stated, claiming that "everything Lebanon does boils down to talk but no tangible action."
According to Barrack, Hezbollah is regrouping contrary to public perception in Lebanon, and the Lebanese government must therefore take responsibility, further claiming that the group is still receiving funding.
"Hezbollah is our enemy, and Iran is our enemy; we must cut off the heads of these snakes and prevent them from receiving funding," the US envoy stated. However, he did note that "we will not intervene to confront Hezbollah, whether through our troops or via US Central Command [in the region]," without elaborating on how he intends to "cut off the heads of these snakes."
Regarding the Israeli occupation of certain points in South Lebanon, the American envoy affirmed that the Israeli army "will not withdraw from the five positions occupied on Lebanese territory."
Peace in Middle East an 'illusion'
In the same interview, US special envoy Tom Barrack stated that Middle East peace is an illusion while describing the recognition of Palestinian statehood by some UN Security Council members as unhelpful.
“When we say peace, it's an illusion,” the US special envoy and ambassador told Sky News Arabia, adding, “There's never been peace [in the Middle East]. There will probably never be peace because everybody's fighting for legitimacy."
“I think there's been 27 ceasefires. None of them work,” Barrack noted.
Regarding Gaza, the American envoy to Syria expressed skepticism that current efforts to establish a ceasefire would be successful. He said that while the recent recognition of a Palestinian state by many nations at the UN General Assembly is a positive step, it lacks tangible impact, while claiming that US President Donald Trump possesses a plan for Gaza and is actively seeking to resolve the situation.
