"The government and Hezbollah need to fully commit and act now in order to not consign the Lebanese people to the stumbling status quo," Barrack wrote.
US Envoy Tom Barrack is back in Turkey after a recent trip to the region. He had been in Lebanon recently where he held discussions about what may come next in the country.
Barrack is the US ambassador to Turkey and its envoy to Syria. He has also been involved in US policy on Lebanon. However, Beirut seems to be talking more about disarming Hezbollah than actually collecting arms. Pro-Hezbollah networks realize this, and so do those in the region who would prefer to see the terrorist group disarmed.
Barrack wrote on July 26 that “the credibility of Lebanon’s government rests on its ability to match principle with practice. As its leaders have said repeatedly, it is critical that ‘the state has a monopoly on arms.’ As long as Hezbollah retains arms, words will not suffice. The government and Hezbollah need to fully commit and act now in order to not consign the Lebanese people to the stumbling status quo.”
Pro-Hezbollah groups view statement as a warning
The pro-Hezbollah al-Akhbar media outlet in Lebanon has reflected on these new comments. Barrack was seen as conciliatory in the past but now some pro-Hezbollah voices wonder if he is tiring of the prevarications in Beirut. “Barracks stance was a warning,” Al-Akhbar said on July 28.
It is also linked to a local media campaign, it claims. “These same outlets have been leaking pessimistic sentiments since the US envoy’s departure, speaking of ‘the US not being convinced by the latest Lebanese response, or even the position conveyed by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri,’ promoting the idea that ‘Lebanon has entered a dangerous orbit and is only a few steps away from an escalation by Israel to implement what the Lebanese state has not done.’”
Now, the Lebanese prime minister appears to be reaching out to Nabir Berri, an old Lebanese politician and a Shi’ite. By tradition, a Shi’ite is speaker of the parliament in Lebanon, while a Sunni is prime minister and a Christian is president.
Berri is often put in the position of sitting between the government and Hezbollah, playing both sides. Thus, a proposal has been conveyed to Berri by the prime minister, calling for a special cabinet session to discuss the issue of Hezbollah’s arms. The phrasing of the report is general, speaking about arms in general and “Lebanon’s commitment to implementing the decision to monopolize arms possession by the state.” This is code for supposedly bringing in the arms of Hezbollah.
The pro-Hezbollah media seems concerned that the US might support withdrawing UNIFIL from southern Lebanon and that Washington might escalate pressure. Barrack had appeared to say that the US would not use a stick, but rather more carrots to influence Lebanon. It appears Hezbollah is concerned that the stick may be coming.
Asharq al-Awsat reported this weekend that talks with Hezbollah are going slowly. “Lebanese President Joseph Aoun acknowledged on Friday that negotiations with Hezbollah over its weapons are ongoing, though progressing slowly,” the report said.
“Speaking amid heightened tensions along the southern border with Israel, Aoun emphasized that dialogue is being conducted directly with Hezbollah, not through a formal security committee, and expressed cautious optimism over a gradual breakthrough.” Aoun added that “there is some responsiveness to the ideas we’re discussing, even if things are moving at a slow pace.”
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