US envoy prompts outrage in Lebanon after telling media to ‘act civilised’
Al Jazeera2 days
US Envoy's Lebanon Visit Cut Short After Controversial Press Comments
Above: U.S. envoy Tom Barrack speaks at the Presidential Palace in Lebanon, Aug. 18, 2025. Image copyright: Anwar Amro/Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Barrack has apologized for a momentary lapse of judgement. Though inappropriate, his language should not undermine his mission in the region, which has been frustrated by years of unproductive diplomacy. Confronting erratic press behavior is entirely fair, and rather than dwelling on his mistake the world should focus on the need for serious state-building and reform in Lebanon.
Establishment-critical narrative
Tom Barrack’s "animalistic" comment wasn’t a slip — it’s a reflection of Washington’s arrogance and neo-colonial disdain for Arab sovereignty. Lebanon’s journalists are not unruly animals but partners; his outburst revealed that the U.S. sees itself as a colonizer, demanding other nations conform to their will.
Pro-Hezbollah narrative
Hezbollah’s arms are not tools of aggression but Lebanon’s shield and disarming would leave the country exposed to Israeli threats. Any attempt to force this under U.S.–backed pressure undermines national sovereignty and invites instability, not peace.
Anti-Iran narrative
Lebanon’s future depends on restoring the state’s monopoly on arms. Disarming Hezbollah, primarily funded and supported by Iran, is a necessary step toward sovereignty, ending militia rule, and enabling real peace and development under a unified Lebanese authority.
Public Figures
Establishment split
CRITICAL
PRO
© 2025 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 6.15.1
© 2025 Improve the News Foundation.
All rights reserved.
Version 6.15.1