US envoy calls Lebanon a ‘failed state’ as Syria moves toward ties with the US - Salam
Salam - I came across this and wanted to share a quick summary with my thoughts.
BEIRUT: The US special envoy for Syria said on Saturday that Lebanon is effectively a “failed state,” reflecting Washington’s frustration with a government that’s been stuck and unable to provide basic services, even as Syria appears to be moving toward closer ties with the United States.
Speaking at the Manama Dialogue in Bahrain during a panel on US policy in the Levant, Thomas Barrack praised recent developments in Syria after the fall of Bashar Assad in December. He said Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa is expected to visit Washington on Nov. 10 - the first visit by a Syrian president since the country’s independence in 1946.
Barrack added that Syria is likely to join the US-led coalition against Daesh, calling that a “big step” and “remarkable.” The coalition is said to include around 80 countries aiming to stop an IS resurgence.
On Lebanon, he said it’s the only country in the region not aligning with the new shifts and bluntly called the state effectively Hezbollah, arguing the Iran-backed group provides for supporters and fighters in ways the Lebanese state has not - in a country where electricity and water are often unreliable.
He warned that the US won’t get further involved with what he described as a situation controlled by a foreign terrorist organization and a failed state that keeps asking for more resources. He also said the US wouldn’t step into regional disputes but would back its ally if Israel became more aggressive toward Lebanon.
Israel has stepped up strikes in southern Lebanon recently. Both sides accuse the other of breaking the ceasefire that ended the last Israel–Hezbollah war in November. That war began after the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which sparked the Gaza war. Hezbollah fired rockets in support of Palestinians, Israel responded with airstrikes and artillery, and the clashes grew into a larger war in September 2024.
Since the ceasefire, Israel says it still targets Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon and has kept forces at several strategic points inside Lebanese territory. Lebanese officials accuse Israel of hitting civilian areas and infrastructure and call for Israeli withdrawal and respect for sovereignty.
Barrack said Israel continues bombing southern Lebanon because of “thousands of rockets and missiles” there, but acknowledged it’s unrealistic to expect Lebanon to forcibly disarm one of its political parties given fears of civil war.
He suggested the path forward involves direct talks with Israel - mentioning Jerusalem or Tel Aviv - together with Syria, which he said is showing the way. Syria and Israel are expected to hold another round of de-escalation talks, and the US is pushing diplomacy to restore a 1974 ceasefire arrangement that created a demilitarized zone and a UN peacekeeping presence.
Tensions have risen between Syria and Israel after Assad’s ouster in December in a rebel offensive led by Islamist insurgents. After that, Israeli forces took control of the UN-monitored buffer zone and carried out strikes near Damascus, saying they wanted a demilitarized area south of the capital. Israel says it won’t allow hostile groups to entrench along the border, pointing to distrust of Syria’s new government.
Just sharing this for awareness - may Allah grant peace and stability to the region and protect civilians on all sides.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/