US envoy admits Washington arming Lebanese Armed Forces to ‘fight their own people’

A senior American regional envoy, who has already attracted widespread criticism for disrespecting Lebanese people, admits that the United States is arming the Arab country's Armed Forces so they can fight the Lebanese people.

Tom Barrack, the United States ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria, made the remarks in an interview with the Abu Dhabi-based IMI Media Group’s On the Record program, which was shared across various platforms on Tuesday.

Barrack was approached about the US’s unprecedented pressure on Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah, underlining Washington’s demand that the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) enact the disarmament.

“It's the only people who are there,” he said, referring to the LAF.

“Who are they going to fight? We're going to arm them so they can fight Israel? I don't think so,” he said, noting, “So, you're arming them so they can fight their own people, Hezbollah.” “Hezbollah is our enemy,” Barrack brazenly added.

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The official, meanwhile, described the LAF as "not well-equipped” – remarks that followed US President Donald Trump approving an “assistance package” worth $14.2 million to help Lebanon disarm Hezbollah.

The official expressed satisfaction with the current political leadership in the country, which has been implementing Washington’s disarmament dictates. "The situation in Lebanon is very difficult, but we have a good team in power."

Hezbollah, itself, has, however, vowed that its weapons were in the service of Lebanon’s defense, and it, therefore, would not abandon them under any circumstances.

Since its foundation in 1982, the movement has served as the main source of defensive action across the country in the face of Israeli aggression and the regime’s efforts to expand the areas under its occupation in Lebanon.

Hezbollah’s uncompromising resistance drive has seen it fight off wholesale Israeli wars in 2000 and 2006, as well as more than a year of deadly Israeli aggression that began in October 2023.

Barrack rehashed the US and its allies’ allegations about the movement receiving financial support from Iran.

The Islamic Republic has, however, unexceptionally rejected the claim, asserting that it attaches respect to Lebanon’s sovereignty.

Barrack, meanwhile, admitted that Hezbollah was reinforcing itself, despite aggressive American and Israeli measures that have been targeting the movement either through direct action or pressure on Beirut.

‘Israel doesn’t care about borders’

The diplomat went on to try to legitimize the Israeli regime’s expansionist ambitions that have seen Tel Aviv unprecedentedly escalate its aggression against several countries in the region over the past years.

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."

“A border or boundary is just currency in a negotiation. The end result is somebody wants dominance, which means somebody has to submit.”

‘Regional peace an illusion’

Elsewhere in his remarks, Barrack described peace in the West Asia region as “an illusion.”

“There's never been peace [in the region]. There will probably never be peace because everybody's fighting for legitimacy."

“I think there's been 27 ceasefires. None of them work,” he added.

The remarks came as Washington’s annual “aid” to Israel – ranging from $4 to $5 billion – coincides with some of Tel Aviv’s most intense military operations in recent memory, from the Gaza Strip to Syria.

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