Barrack clarifies previous statement: I said Israel doesn't want to take over Lebanon or Syria

BEIRUT — In snippets of an interview with social media personality Mario Nawfal, a day after his departure from Lebanon, U.S. Envoy Tom Barrack nuanced on Thursday the statement in which he allegedly said there's zero possibility that Israel wants to invade more territory in Lebanon or Syria: "That's not what I said. I said they don't want to take over Lebanon or Syria," the U.S. envoy clarified.

Despite a cease-fire agreement reached last November, Israel still carries out near-daily airstrikes and still occupies at least five areas within Lebanese territories. Moreover, Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria since the former Syrian regime fell, and occupied much of a U.N.-patrolled demilitarized zone on the Syrian-held side of the armistice line between the two countries.

Barrack was also interviewed regarding his controversial press conference on Tuesday, during which he admonished reporters, warning that if the situation turned disorderly, "animalistic," the delegation would leave, and urged the press to "act civilized." His comments led to huge criticisms in Lebanon and were, among dozens of other reactions, described by the journalists’ syndicate as “a treatment that runs counter to the rules of decency and diplomacy."

In his first comment after admonishing the reporters, Barrack said that he didn't use the word "animalistic" in a derogatory manner, in snippets of an interview with social media influencer Nawfal, himself of Lebanese descent.

"Animalistic is a word that I didn't use in a derogatory manner. I am just saying we can calm down, we can find some tolerance and kindness; let's be civilized. But it was inappropriate to do when the media is just doing their job, I understand more than anybody else," Barrack said.

"These things are complicated and difficult, and it's very rare that they have an opportunity to talk to people who actually are making the decision, so they have the illusion that that's me. I should have been more generous with my time and more tolerant myself," he added.

On the regional level, Barrack, who also has Lebanese origins, said that despite the fact that the "region has never had peace for 5,000 years," he believes that U.S. President Donald Trump is "the guy who will actually achieve it."

Asked about whether he believes Hezbollah is becoming less of an Iranian proxy and more of a Lebanese political party, the U.S. envoy agreed, adding that it is happening "in inches, meters, instead of miles and kilometers."