Ghassan Salameh in his Paris apartment in October 2024. (Credit: Anthony Samrani/L'Orient-Le Jour)
Culture Minister Ghassan Salameh said Sunday evening that U.S. envoy Tom Barrack "should speak less in public, because every time he does, he makes careless mistakes."
Asked by Al-Jadeed about his recent comments on Lebanon and Hezbollah, Salameh replied: "Which statement are you referring to, exactly?" referring to Barrack's several controversial statements all in the past week.
He criticized Lebanese authorities for failing to disarm Hezbollah, alleging the party received $60 million a month, before backtracking Thursday and reaffirming U.S. support for government efforts to "rebuild the state, make peace with its neighbors, and continue working toward implementing the November 2024 cease-fire agreement, including disarming Hezbollah." He also said the Middle East "has never known peace" and was made up of "only tribes and villages."
"I’ve had the same job as Tom Barrack, I’ve served as a mediator in conflicts," Salameh said. "And I know that in such missions, the less you speak, the better, because it’s hard to avoid mistakes."
"Saying that the Middle East consists only of tribes and villages ignores the importance of modern states," Salameh said. "I’ve often worked in Africa, where there are plenty of tribes and villages, but that doesn’t stop them from developing modern states too."
Salameh rejected Barrack’s claim that the Middle East is the only region not to have known peace for a hundred years. "Where did the two World Wars take place? Wasn’t it Europe?" he said.
"My advice is that he shouldn’t talk about Lebanon or the region without taking some history lessons," Salameh added. "If I allow myself to give Barrack some advice, it’s because I want him to succeed in his mission, as he is our only intermediary with the Israeli enemy."
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