Lebanon’s Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, an ally of Hezbollah, blasts US envoy Tom Barrack for recent comments some saw as advocating the incorporation of Lebanon back into Syria.
“It is totally inconceivable to talk to the Lebanese in this way, especially by diplomats,” Berri tells a group of senior Lebanese journalists.
He says the comments were a “major mistake that is absolutely unacceptable.”
Speaking in Doha earlier this week, Barrack called to “bring Lebanon and Syria closer, align these two ancient and beautiful civilizations.” The comments followed more explicit remarks in July that “if Lebanon does not move, it will return to Bilad al-Sham,” a name for greater Syria.
Under their 1920 mandate, the French separated Lebanon from the rest of historical greater Syria, a move that angered Syrian nationalists. The two countries have never formally marked a border between them, and Syria occupied Lebanon from 1976-2005.
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Thursday, December 11, 2025
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