"Acting Like Animals".. US Envoy Tom Barrack Insults Lebanese Journalists

SadaNews: The remarks made by US envoy Tom Barrack to journalists at the Lebanese presidential palace sparked a wave of reactions that deemed them insulting and hurtful.

During their rush to ask questions before the commencement of his press conference following his meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Barrack addressed the journalists saying, "Please calm down a bit... I want to tell you something, the moment the situation turns chaotic and you act like animals, we will leave.".

He continued, before answering questions about disarming Hezbollah, "You want to know what’s going on, act in a civilized manner.".

The presidency issued a statement on the "X" platform, noting that "the remarks were made spontaneously from its podium by one of its guests".

It emphasized its "full appreciation for all journalists and accredited media representatives, in particular".

For his part, Minister of Information Paul Marqos expressed his regret regarding the "statement made by one of the foreign envoys towards the media representatives at the presidential palace", affirming that he "values the dignity of every individual" among journalists.

The Journalists' Photographers Syndicate regarded Barrack's statements as a "direct insult... and a dangerous precedent that is entirely unacceptable".

It demanded an "immediate and public apology", considering that "any attempt to downplay the seriousness of what happened or to pass it off without accountability will face outright rejection and escalation from the entire press body".

The Editors Syndicate called for "correcting" Barrack's remarks by issuing a public apology from the media body, hinting at a "boycott of visits and meetings with the US envoy".

The "Union of Journalists in Lebanon" condemned Barrack's statement, asserting that it "cannot be considered a slip of the tongue or an individual stance; rather, it reflects an unacceptable superiority in dealing with the media body". It demanded Barrack to "issue an official and public apology" and for the US embassy in Beirut to take a stance against these unacceptable actions.

Member of Parliament Ibrahim Moussaoui, representing Hezbollah and chair of the Media and Communications Committee in parliament, called on the Lebanese authorities to "summon the American ambassador, reprimand her, and protest against the insult inflicted by her country’s representative on Lebanon and the Lebanese people".