US Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack is in Lebanon for significant discussions. This is an important opportunity for Lebanon to turn its back on years of conflict and become a successful country again. To do that, it needs to collect arms from groups like Hezbollah.
“A US envoy met Lebanese officials in Beirut on Monday to discuss a proposed plan to disarm Hezbollah, hours after Israel launched new air strikes and a cross-border ground assault,” Reuters reported.
Hezbollah may be willing to reduce its arsenal, Reuters said, though the US and others would prefer to see Hezbollah fully disarmed.
“Lebanon formed a committee to draft a response. Hezbollah was expected to provide its own feedback to its ally, Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, to incorporate into a counter-proposal being prepared in time for Barrack’s Monday visit,” Reuters noted.
Prior to heading to Lebanon, Barrack posted an article by Edward Gabriel, the former US ambassador to Morocco and currently president of the American Task Force on Lebanon NGO, titled “Lebanon’s Opportunity – or Missed Opportunity?”
Decades of war and conflict
Gabriel argues that the changes in the region, such as the fall of the Assad regime and Israel’s weakening of Hezbollah in 2024, should lead to Lebanon being “the biggest beneficiary of these seismic regional shifts. Decades of war and conflict, economic collapse, systemic corruption, and the overpowering shadow of Hezbollah have brought Lebanon to its knees. But the tide may finally be turning.”
Barrack wrote on X/Twitter on Sunday, “Lebanon’s hope awakens!!! The opportunity is now. This is a historic moment to supersede the strained confessionalism of the past and finally fulfill Lebanon’s true promise of the hope of ‘One country, one people, one army.’ As US President Donald Trump has consistently shared with the world, ‘Lebanon is a great place, with great people. Let’s make Lebanon great again.’”
The visit by the US envoy is important, and pro-Iranian media in Lebanon have taken notice. Al-Akhbar noted, “The Israeli enemy expanded its airstrikes this evening, targeting areas in the south and the Bekaa Valley. This escalation comes on the eve of the arrival of US Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack in Beirut... to receive Lebanon’s official response to the US proposal, which stipulates that arms be restricted to the state.” The report noted that key figures in Lebanon, including the president, prime minister, and speaker of parliament, are preparing a response to Barrack’s proposals.
Barrack is a skilled envoy. He has moved quickly to increase US ties with the new Syrian government. He has travelled around the region, and he is also the US ambassador to Turkey, meaning he is a key figure in US policy in the region. His role in Lebanon appears to be important as well. Barrack may be able to help bring peace and stability.