Without mentioning Israel, US envoy says only Lebanese army can operate within own borders

The US Special Envoy for Syria and also Ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, said on Thursday that the US will support Lebanon as long as only the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) is permitted to operate within its borders, and control its arms supply. 

The statement is notable as it comes shortly after confirmation from the Israeli army that it has bombed multiple alleged weapons sites in southern Lebanon belonging to Hezbollah. 

Barrack did not name Israel in his statement.

"During my recent visit to Beirut, I stated that Hizballah is 'an issue that must be resolved by the Lebanese themselves,' reaffirming a long-standing position of the United States — that Hizballah represents a challenge which only the Lebanese government can address," Barrack wrote on X.

"Our goal in Lebanon is 'a strong Lebanese state that can take on and disarm Hizballah,'" he said, citing remarks by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

"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," Barrack wrote, appearing to spell Hezbollah differently in a follow-up post. 

"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," he said.