U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Thomas Barrack, who also serves as envoy to Lebanon and Syria, said Saturday at a conference in Manama, Bahrain, that Hezbollah retains a powerful force of about 40,000 militants and between 15,000 and 20,000 rockets and missiles.
Barrack noted that while a soldier in the Lebanese army earns about $275 a month, a Hezbollah “fighter” makes roughly $2,200, nearly 10 times more. He used the comparison to underscore the difficulty of dismantling Hezbollah’s military capabilities.
homas Barrack: The state in Lebanon is Hezbollah
“Lebanon is a failed state,” Barrack said. “It has no central bank, its banking system has collapsed. There is no electricity; people depend on private generators. Even water and education are provided by private suppliers. The state is Hezbollah, which in the south provides water and education.”
By contrast, Barrack said, the Lebanese army consists of about 60,000 troops equipped with old jeeps and AK-47 rifles. “What’s going on here?” he asked.
Barrack said Israel continues to strike targets in Lebanon daily because Hezbollah’s weapons remain in place and urged the Lebanese leadership to move faster toward disarmament. “Thousands of missiles in southern Lebanon still threaten Israel,” he said. “It makes no sense that there is no dialogue between the two countries. Lebanon has no time to waste. It must consolidate its weapons. Israel may respond in Lebanon depending on developments.”
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Thomas Barrack alongside Morgan Ortagus, who also serves as envoy to Lebanon: “Israel may respond in Lebanon”
(Photo: Anwar Amro / AFP)
The ambassador, who also represents President Donald Trump in talks involving Israel and Syria, credited Turkey with playing a crucial role in securing the Gaza cease-fire. “It would not have happened without them,” he said. “It was Turkey’s relationship with Hamas that made it possible. I believe stability will hold, and Turkey will play a part.”
Despite tensions between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Barrack dismissed the possibility of a confrontation. “There will be no war between Israel and Turkey. It will not happen,” he said. He added that “if progress in Gaza continues, we will see a trade agreement between Israel and Turkey.”
Barrack also revealed that Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa is expected to visit Washington later this month to meet with President Trump in what he described as a historic event. He said he expects Syria to join the U.S.-led coalition against ISIS. The visit will be al-Sharaa’s second to the United States during his term, following his address to the U.N. General Assembly in New York.