Berri warns US envoy Tom Barrack not to ‘threaten Lebanese’

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has strongly criticized US envoy Tom Barrack for making remarks in which he suggested that Lebanon could be annexed to Syria, calling the comments a “major mistake.” 

Berri on Thursday warned foreign diplomats “not to threaten the Lebanese,” criticizing repeated remarks by US Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack perceived in Beirut as mulling the possibility of Syria's extending control over Lebanon.

“Let no one threaten the Lebanese nation,” Berri said in a meeting with a delegation from the Press Syndicate.

It is utterly unacceptable to address the Lebanese people in this manner, especially by diplomats, and particularly by someone like Ambassador Tom Barrack, the Lebanese speaker said

"His statement about annexing Lebanon to Syria was a grave mistake and completely unacceptable,” Berri added

Barrack has sparked repeated controversy in recent months over comments seen in Lebanon as suggesting a return to Bilad al-Sham, the historical region that once encompassed Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine.

Senior officials in Beirut have described Barrack’s statements and positions as threatening the very existence of Lebanon.

Observers have criticized the remarks as a means of sidestepping the West’s robust and sustained military and intelligence support for the Israeli regime, which has historically enabled Tel Aviv’s regional aggression, including the ferocious Israeli raids that helped Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) overthrow Assad’s government.

In his most recent remarks on Sunday during a panel on Syria at the Doha Forum, Barack praised the new regime in Syria, which took over by force amid intense Israeli air raids on the nation’s civilian and defensive infrastructures.

Barrack lauded the regime, which is run by former Daesh and al-Qaeda commander Mohammad Jolani, for what he called its “epic” and “heroic” achievements since its ouster of Syria’s former democratically elected government.

Barrack claimed that the international community had to let Syria develop its own ruling system.

The comments, they added, also served to ignore more than a decade of Western support for Takfiri terrorists inside Syria that preceded last year’s takeover.

A billionaire real estate investor appointed by President Donald Trump, Barrack has repeatedly outraged regional people with markedly controversial statements since assuming his role.

In August, he touched off a constant torrent of outrage after he told the journalists trying to ask him questions during a press conference in Beirut to “be quiet” and stop being “animalistic.” “Act civilized, act kind, act tolerant,” he told them at the time.

Lebanon’s Parliament Speaker: Talks under fire ‘unacceptable’

Lebanon’s Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has warned that Israel’s unilateral strikes on his country could reignite a new war, stressing that negotiations under Israeli fire are “unacceptable”.

In September, he admitted that the United States was arming Lebanon's armed forces so they could fight the Lebanese people. He also said peace in the West Asia region was “an illusion.”

Berri also said that the Lebanese Army has implemented 90 percent of the cessation of hostilities agreement in the South Litani area and will completely finalize what’s left by year’s end.

“This is what the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), the Mechanism and Army Commander General Rodolphe Haykal have confirmed,” Berri added.

Senior officials from the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah have underscored that Lebanon’s national unity and the preservation of the resistance’s weapons are crucial to thwart the “existential threat” posed by Israel and the United States.

Israel and Hezbollah struck a ceasefire agreement, which came into effect on November 27, 2024.

Tel Aviv was obligated under the deal to completely withdraw from Lebanese territory. However, it has maintained a military presence at five locations, openly breaching both UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and the provisions of the agreement reached last November.

Since the implementation of the ceasefire, Israel has repeatedly breached the agreement with ongoing assaults on Lebanese territory.

Lebanese authorities have cautioned that breaches of the ceasefire by the Israeli regime pose a risk to the nation’s stability.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Lebanese speaker also affirmed that the current electoral law is in effect and that the parliamentary elections will only be held according to it.

 "There's no way to cancel or postpone them. Everyone wants elections, and we remain open to any formula that leads to consensus on the outstanding issues that are points of contention among the political forces, especially regarding the expatriate vote. No one wants to exclude expatriates," he reassured.

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