Latest news with #USSpecialEnvoy
Arab News
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
US envoy Tom Barrack clarifies Syria comments, denies they were threat to Lebanon
LONDON: US Special Envoy Tom Barrack has sought to clarify remarks made during his recent visit to the region, saying that his comments praising Syria's progress were not intended as a threat to neighboring Lebanon. 'My comments yesterday praised Syria's impressive strides, not a threat to Lebanon,' Barrack posted on X on Saturday. 'I observed the reality that Syria is moving at light speed to seize the historic opportunity presented by @POTUS' lifting of sanctions: Investment from Turkiye and the Gulf, diplomatic outreach to neighboring countries and a clear vision for the future. I can assure that Syria's leaders only want coexistence and mutual prosperity with Lebanon, and the US is committed to supporting that relationship between two equal and sovereign neighbors enjoying peace and prosperity,' he added. My comments yesterday praised Syria's impressive strides, not a threat to Lebanon. I observed the reality that Syria is moving at light speed to seize the historic opportunity presented by @POTUS's lifting of sanctions: investment from Türkiye and the Gulf, diplomatic outreach to… — Ambassador Tom Barrack (@USAMBTurkiye) July 12, 2025 The clarification comes after reports in Lebanese media, including from MTV Lebanon, cited Barrack as warning that Lebanon risked 'going back to Bilad Al-Sham' if it failed to act quickly on regional realignment. The term Bilad Al-Sham, historically referring to Greater Syria, encompasses present-day Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine under the Ottoman Empire; a sensitive concept in Lebanon given fears over sovereignty and outside interference. Barrack's comments were widely interpreted by some local outlets as a warning that Lebanon could fall under renewed Syrian influence if it failed to align with shifting regional dynamics. Meanwhile on Saturday, the Syrian government also moved to quash speculation that it was planning escalatory steps against Lebanon over the issue of Syrian detainees held in Lebanese prisons. A Syrian Ministry of Information official said that the detainee issue remains 'a top priority' and that Damascus is committed to resolving it 'swiftly through official channels between the two countries.' Earlier reports had cited unnamed sources close to the Syrian government suggesting that diplomatic and economic retaliation was under consideration in response to what Damascus saw as Lebanon's neglect of the detainees' plight. However, the Information Ministry source denied this, saying there were no such plans and reaffirming Syria's commitment to bilateral resolution. In an interview with Arab News on Friday, Barrack had made similar remarks reflecting growing US concern over Lebanon's political inertia and the evolving role of Hezbollah. 'If Lebanon doesn't hurry up and get in line, everyone around them will,' Barrack warned, pointing to a broader regional shift sparked by the lifting of US sanctions on Syria. He framed the moment as pivotal for Lebanon, with pressure mounting for a new political order. Addressing questions about Hezbollah's future, Barrack said the group consists of 'two parts,' an Iran-backed militant faction designated as a terrorist organization, and a political wing operating in Lebanon's parliament. #WATCH: 'If #Lebanon doesn't hurry up and get in line, everyone around them will,' @TomBarrackJr tells @arabnews when pressed about the future of #Hezbollah, sectarian dynamics and Lebanon's recovery — Arab News (@arabnews) July 11, 2025 He added that any disarmament process 'must be led by the Lebanese government, with the full agreement of Hezbollah itself.' Barrack said: 'That process has to start with the Council of Ministers. They have to authorize the mandate. And Hezbollah, the political party, has to agree to that. But what Hezbollah is saying is, 'OK, we understand one Lebanon has to happen.' Why? Because one Syria is starting to happen.' On Syria, Barrack described the lifting of sanctions on May 13 as a 'strategic fresh start' for the war-ravaged nation and said that the US was not intending to pursue 'nation-building or federalism.' He called the Middle East a 'difficult zip code at an amazingly historic time,' and told Arab News that the Trump administration's new approach was designed to offer 'a new slice of hope' to the Syrian people. 'President (Trump)'s message is peace and prosperity,' he said. 'Sanctions gave the people hope. That's really all that happened at that moment.'
The National
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The National
Syrian President and Kurdish militia leader fail to meet during US envoy's Damascus visit
President Ahmad Al Shara and a Syrian Kurdish militia leader failed to meet as expected on Wednesday during a visit to Damascus by US special envoy Thomas Barrack, sources said. It was a setback to US-sponsored moves to resolve the biggest obstacle to reuniting Syria after its 13-year civil war. The sources did not reveal why the meeting in Damascus did not go ahead between Mr Al Shara and Mazloum Abdi, the head of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) militia that controls large swathes of eastern Syria. The two men were expected to discuss ways to bring the SDF under the control of the Syria army command. 'We are more far away from a grand bargain,' an SDF official told The National. Mr Barrack held a meeting with Mr Al Shara, state media said, without revealing details of their discussions. The SDF official said Mr Abdi had gone to Damascus confident that there would be no 'sidelining of the SDF'. The official said the SDF has been buoyed by the Pentagon's allocation of $130 million for groups in Syria with which it has partnered in counter-ISIS operations, mainly the SDF, in its 2026 budget. US backing for the SDF has prevented Mr Al Shara from consolidating his control over the country since the ousting of his predecessor Bashar Al Assad in December. The March 10 agreement between Mr Al Shara and Mr Abdi faltered after the SDF convened a conference of Kurdish political groups in April that demanded that Syria be governed under a federal system. 'It is neither in the interest of Al Shara or any of the international players for the SDF to weaken, because it would mean the resurgence of ISIS,' the official said. He said Mr Barrack had proposed that the SDF becomes formally part of the Syrian armed forces but retains its Kurdish commanders, a 'symbolic' arrangement akin to Syrian armed groups that are proxies of Turkey joining the army in February. Many of these units retained their command structure and their Turkmen commanders. However, the SDF's position as Washington's main ally in Syria has been undermined after US began normalising ties with its new government in May, and putting more focus on stabilising the country. The US lifted sanctions on Syria last month and on Monday revoked the terror designation of the hardline Hayat Tahrir Al Sham rebel group, a former affiliate of Al Qaeda, to which Mr Al Shara and many members of the new government belonged. Turkey, a major backer of Mr Al Shara's government, considers the SDF a separatist group that threatens its national security, because of its ties with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) which waged a 40-year insurgency against the Turkish state. Turkey is involved in a process to disarm and dissolve the PKK. Omer Ozkizilcik, a non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council, said the US was using its sway to urge the SDF to accept integration into Damascus-controlled armed forces. 'The March 10 agreement was not proceeding due to stalling by the SDF,' he told The National. 'It appears that the US is using its influence to move things forward and force the SDF to accommodate the demands of Damascus. 'Both Damascus and Ankara, which has significant influence over the new Syrian authorities, had given the SDF 'olive branches', including some form of local governance,' Mr Ozkizilcik said. 'But they thought they are in a position to dictate terms.'
NHK
04-06-2025
- General
- NHK
Russian rocket attack on Ukraine's Sumy causing casualties, people to flee
Russian forces are intensifying their offensive in the northeastern Ukrainian region bordering Russia, with reports of civilian casualties and residents forced to flee. The Russian defense ministry said on Tuesday that its troops took control of another settlement about 20 kilometers north of the city of Sumy. The city's urban areas came under rocket attack on Tuesday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said four people were killed and about 30 others wounded. Authorities said they were evacuating residents in more than 200 settlements in the region, but that more than 35,000 people remain in high risk areas. The authorities condemned the Russian offensive, saying consecutive days of shelling were putting an increasing number of civilians in danger. The Russian military is aiming to expand areas under its control to create what it calls a "buffer security zone" along the border with Ukraine. The head of Ukraine's presidential office, Andriy Yermak, said he recently met separately with US special envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, and Steve Witkoff, US special envoy to the Middle East, in the United States. Yermak said they discussed direct talks between Ukraine and Russia, and that he made it clear "Moscow does not want a ceasefire." His call for stronger sanctions against Russia is seen as an attempt to maintain the involvement of the Trump administration.
