US envoy Barrack insults press; says ‘act civilized', threatens leaving conference

Speaking from the Presidential Palace of Lebanon, US envoy Tom Barrack addressed journalists in a condescending and offensive manner, setting what he called “a different set of rules” for the press. He demanded silence, warning that “the moment that this starts becoming chaotic, like animalistic, we’re gone,” effectively insulting his hosts by characterizing local journalists and, by extension, the region, as prone to “animalistic” behavior. Barrack continued by instructing reporters to “act civilized, act kind, act tolerant, because this is the problem with what’s happening in the region,” a sweeping generalization that reduces the Middle East to a caricature of disorder and intolerance, while positioning himself as the arbiter of acceptable conduct. He went further, questioning, “Do you think this is fun for us? Do you think this is economically beneficial for Morgan and I to be here putting up with this insanity?”