![US Ambassador to Ankara and Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack holds a press conference in the capital Beirut, Lebanon on August 18, 2025. [Houssam Shbaro - Anadolu Agency]](https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/AA-20250818-38859943-38859936-US_AMBASSADOR_TO_ANKARA_AND_SPECIAL_ENVOY_FOR_SYRIA_TOM_BARRACK_IN_LEBANON-1-1.jpg)
The Lebanese presidency has expressed regret over the “inadvertent” comments made by the US Special Envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, during a press conference, emphasising its respect for journalists and media representatives. “The Lebanese Presidency regrets remarks made inadvertently from its podium by one of its guests,” the presidency posted on X. This statement came just hours after Barrack faced backlash in Lebanon for describing journalists’ behaviour as “animalistic” during the event at the presidential palace in Beirut. As reporters shouted questions following Barrack’s meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, the envoy, who also serves as US Ambassador to Turkey, called for silence, stating, “We’re going to have a different set of rules… Please be quiet for a moment. The […]
