US envoy to Lebanon Thomas Barrack has been sued in federal court in Michigan following his statement to journalists in Beirut to "don't behave like animals." The lawsuit, filed by a Lebanese-American businessman, accuses Barrack of defamation and "colonial rhetoric" that undermines Washington's credibility as a mediator between Israel and Lebanon. Court documents claim that Barrack's conduct "provides ammunition" to Hezbollah, which portrays the U.S. as Israel's agent. According to the lawsuit, derogatory terms toward journalists and elements of "Western superiority" undermine the process that the Lebanese government is trying to advance with Israel. In addition to the legal proceedings, complaints were also filed with the UN Human Rights Council, the State Department and Congressional oversight committees.