Barrack says US goal in Lebanon is 'strong state that can disarm Hezbollah'
U.S. envoy Tom Barrack has reminded that during his latest visit to Beirut, he stated that Hezbollah is 'an issue that must be resolved by the Lebanese themselves,' reaffirming a 'long-standing position of the United States -- that Hezbollah represents a challenge which only the Lebanese government can address.'
'The United States remains ready to support Lebanon, should the government uphold and enforce the state's monopoly on all arms, and that only the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) has the constitutional authority to operate within its borders,' Barrack said in a statement posted on his X account.
'As (U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio) has rightly emphasized, our goal in Lebanon is 'a strong Lebanese state that can take on and disarm Hezbollah,'' Barrack added.
'The United States draws no distinction between Hezbollah's political and military branches. We view the group in its entirety as what it is: a foreign terrorist organization,' he said.
'By contrast, the United States recognizes the LAF as the sole legitimate national military institution and a pillar of Lebanon's sovereignty and the key to securing a stable and prosperous future. It is now incumbent upon Lebanon's political leadership -- and the LAF -- to demonstrate the resolve and political will to, in the words of @POTUS (U.S. President Donald Trump) 'seize a new chance for a future free from the grip of Hezbollah terrorists,'' Barrack added.
'On that path, the United States will stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Lebanon,' he went on to say.
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