The U.S. special envoy for Syria said Saturday that Lebanon
is “a failed state,” underscoring Washington’s frustration with Beirut’s
paralyzed government as Syria edges toward U.S. ties.
During a session on “U.S. Policy in the Levant” at the Manama Dialogue peak in Bahrain, Thomas Barrack praised the progress in Syria after Bashar Assad was overthrown in December. He affirmed that the first visit by a Syrian chairman since the country's independence in 1946, Syrian President Ahmad al- Sharaa, is listed to travel to Washington on November 10.
Syria is anticipated to join the coalition ofanti-Islamic State group's lead by the United States, Barrack added, calling it "a big step" and "remarkable." About 80 nations are part of the coalition, which aims to stop IS from resurrecting.
As for Lebanon, Barrack pointedly said it was the only state in the region “not jumping in line” with the new Middle East realignments.
"The state is Hezbollah,”
he said, noting that the Iran-backed group provides for its supporters and fighters in ways the Lebanese state cannot — in a country where basic services like electricity and water are chronically unreliable.
“It is really up to the Lebanese. America is not going to get deeper involved in the situation with a foreign terrorist organization and a failed state dictating the pace and asking for more resources and more money and more help,”
he said.
The United States, Barrack continued, would back its ally "if Israel becomes more aggressive toward Lebanon," but it would not become involved in regional conflicts.
Israel has recently increased the intensity of its attacks in southern Lebanon. The most recent Israel-Hezbollah conflict was ostensibly resolved in November by a ceasefire, which both sides have accused one another of breaking. The conflict began with the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which set off the war in Gaza.
In support of Hamas and the Palestinians, Hezbollah started launching rockets into northern Israel, which prompted Israeli artillery fire and airstrikes in retaliation. In September 2024, the low-level interactions turned into a full-scale conflict.
Israel claims that its nearly daily strikes in southern Lebanon since the ceasefire target Hezbollah terrorists, weapons caches, and command centers.
How might this US statement affect Lebanon’s relations with neighboring states?
Lebanon’s neighbors may view the U.S. assessment as a blunt
acknowledgment of the country’s habitual insecurity, governance palsy, and
profitable collapse, buttressing a indigenous agreement that Lebanon is deeply
worried and in critical need of reform. This may encourage neighbors to engage
cautiously, balancing enterprises over Lebanon’s sovereignty with realistic
security interests.
The statement underscores the delicate security terrain along Lebanon’s border with Israel. It could consolidate indigenous pressure for Lebanon to misbehave with ceasefire conditions and limit Hezbollah’s military presence to help escalation. Israel may perceive U.S. frustration as confirmation of enterprises about Hezbollah’s power in Lebanon.
With Syria moving toward regularized U.S. ties, the U.S. view of Lebanon could encourage lesser cooperation or integration under Syrian influence, as Lebanon’s government struggles to assert control.