US Envoy: Washington Arming Lebanese Army to “Fight Their Own People”

By Staff, Agencies

A senior US diplomat has openly admitted that Washington’s military support for the Lebanese Armed Forces [LAF] is intended to be used against Hezbollah and, by extension, the Lebanese people.

Tom Barrack, the US ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria, made the remarks in an interview with Abu Dhabi-based IMI Media Group’s On the Record program, released Tuesday. Asked about Washington’s push to disarm Hezbollah, Barrack underlined that the LAF was the only force available to impose US demands.

“It's the only people who are there,” he said. “Who are they going to fight? We're going to arm them so they can fight 'Israel'? I don't think so. So, you're arming them so they can fight their own people, Hezbollah. Hezbollah is our enemy.”

Barrack described the LAF as “not well-equipped”, comments that followed President Donald Trump’s approval of a $14.2 million assistance package aimed at disarming Hezbollah. Despite Lebanon’s dire political situation, the envoy praised the current leadership for cooperating with Washington’s agenda.

Hezbollah has repeatedly vowed never to relinquish its weapons, stressing that its arsenal is dedicated to Lebanon’s defense against the apartheid “Israeli” entity. Since its formation in 1982, the movement has led the country’s resistance to “Israeli” aggression, including in the wars of 2000 and 2006, as well as during the ongoing Israeli onslaught that began in October 2023.

Reiterating US and “Israeli” accusations that Hezbollah is backed financially by Iran, Barrack admitted the group had continued to grow stronger despite sanctions, military pressure, and political coercion.

He also sought to justify “Israel’s” expansionist policies, portraying Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a leader willing to cross borders at will if he perceives a threat.

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

The envoy dismissed prospects for peace in West Asia as “an illusion”, claiming that decades of ceasefires had failed because “everybody's fighting for legitimacy”.

Barrack’s comments come as Washington continues to funnel $4–5 billion annually in military aid to the "Israeli" entity, backing its wars from Gaza to Syria, while simultaneously pressuring Lebanon to weaken the very movement that has shielded it from repeated “Israeli” invasions.