Call for armed struggle in Syria: Wi'am Wahab, a lover of controversy
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Ya Libnan
28 minutes ago
- Ya Libnan
Barrak urges the Lebanese to keep hope alive
Beirut- US Special Envoy to Lebanon and Syria Tom Barrack on Tuesday affirmed the continued American efforts to stabilize the region, calling on the Lebanese people to 'keep hope alive.' His remarks came during a 75-minute meeting with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri in Beirut, which he described as 'excellent,' as they discussed political and security developments in Lebanon and the broader region. 'The meeting was excellent. We are pushing forward to achieve stability, and you (the Lebanese people) must remain hopeful,' Barrack said in his comments published by Berri's Facebook page. When asked by reporters about the US administration's refusal to provide Lebanon with guarantees that Israel will respect the current ceasefire, Barrack replied: 'It's not about guarantees. We are dealing with the situation, and everything is progressing.' 'Hope is essential. We are trying to move forward. The goal is regional stability,' he added. On Monday, after meeting Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Barrack reiterated Washington's position that it considers Hezbollah 'a terrorist group, ' but acknowledged that disarming the organization is 'a deeply internal matter.' The US diplomat also received a comprehensive memorandum from Lebanese President Joseph Aoun outlining commitments Lebanon made as part of last year's ceasefire deal with Israel. On June 19, Barrack proposed a roadmap to the Lebanese government that included the disarmament of Hezbollah's military wing in exchange for Israel's withdrawal from five border positions, and the release of international aid for reconstruction. The plan also calls for fiscal and economic reforms, border security enforcement, crackdowns on smuggling, and stricter oversight of public infrastructure and customs collection. Barrack's current visit marks his third to Beirut since unveiling the proposal in June. In a televised interview on June 27, Barrack said Hezbollah's military structure 'must be dismantled,' distinguishing it from the group's political wing and urging a timetable for disarmament. Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem has repeatedly rejected the US proposal. 'Those calling for the resistance to disarm must first demand an end to the Israeli aggression. It is unacceptable to ignore the occupation and only pressure those resisting it,' he said in a July 4 speech. 'Those who choose surrender must bear their own consequences. We will not accept that path,' he added. Cross-border warfare between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon escalated into a full-scale war in September 2024. Despite a November ceasefire, Israeli forces have conducted near-daily attacks in southern Lebanon, claiming to target Hezbollah's activities. Since then, Lebanese authorities have reported nearly 3,000 Israeli violations of the truce, including the deaths of at least 257 people and injuries to more than 560. Under the ceasefire deal, Israel was supposed to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by Jan. 26, but the deadline was extended to Feb. 18 after Tel Aviv refused to comply. Israel still maintains a military presence at five border outposts and Hezbollah remains armed despite UN Resolution 1701 and 1559 which call for disarming all militia in Lebanon AA
Ya Libnan
an hour ago
- Ya Libnan
Syrian sanctions: Caesar act to remain in effect to protect minorities, report
Smoke rises while Syrian security forces sit in the back of a truck as Syrian troops entered the predominantly Druze city of Sweida on Tuesday following two days of clashes, between the Druze and bedouin tribes . Instead of quelling the fight the Syrian security forces forces joined the tribes in their attack , shot and killed several Druze at gunpoint , lo0ted their homes and set them on fire . A family of eight including one American from Oklahoma was killed by Syrian security forces July 15, 2025. Karam al-Masri/Reuters In another display of bipartisanship, two centrist Democrats — Reps. Brad Sherman of California and Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey — helped Republicans advance the Lawler plan. Trump-friendly Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., joined all other Democrats in voting 'no.' 'The objective here is very straightforward, which is to actually allow for this government to start to take hold and be successful — and in order to do that, you need to have, obviously, economic cooperation, and you need the sanctions to begin to be eased,' Lawler told Semafor. Still, he added, 'I believe it is foolish to immediately remove all sanctions without a truly stable situation on the ground,' pointing to a possible 'coup or a collapse of this fledgling government.' Lawler said he's 'been in touch with members of the administration' about his legislation. A White House spokesperson declined to comment. 'I get what Mike's trying to do, but in my view, let's not get ahead of the White House,' Donalds told Semafor. 'A lot of things have changed on the ground; let's give the president a wide berth.' Under current law, Trump can waive the remaining US sanctions on Syria, imposed under a law known as the Caesar Act, every 180 days. Lawler's legislation would give the new administration two years to certify the new Syrian government had met its set of conditions before lifting the sanctions for good. Among the lawmakers advocating for full repeal, rather than Lawler's solution: Conservative Rep. Joe Wilson , R-S.C., who urged the committee to 'reconsider' the measure , and the Financial Services Committee's top Democrat, Rep. Maxine Waters of California. Wilson said he supported the failed amendment Waters offered to Lawler's bill on Tuesday. AD 'Well, hey, she's correct,' Wilson said of Waters. 'I'm very grateful that indeed, the president has indicated that he wants to give Syria a chance — and the way to do that is to fully repeal the sanctions, so that businesses know that they can invest.' Some Democrats were torn ahead of the vote. Rep. Greg Meeks of New York, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told Semafor that 'it's a touchy situation.' 'You remove all the sanctions at one time — you know, what does that mean?' Meeks said on his way into the committee room. 'At the same time, you want to make sure that there is progress going down the road.' 'Maybe by the time I get outside, I can tell you exactly what I believe,' Meeks added. He wound up voting against the bill. KNOW MORE The president cannot permanently lift sanctions imposed by the Caesar Act unless Congress repeals that law (or allows it to lapse in 2029). While the Trump administration issued a new six-month waiver of the sanctions in May, lawmakers on both sides of the debate say the short-term relief makes it difficult to facilitate long-term economic growth in Syria because investors lack certainty needed to make long-term decisions. 'What Lawler is attempting to do [is say] 'We want sanctions relief. We want money to flow back into the country,'' said Financial Services Chair French Hill, R-Ark. 'But how do we do that in the right way? Lawler's not adding burden, in my judgment, in his proposal.' 'The president has these freedoms, but in this bill, he's granted statutory relief that he doesn't have,' Hill added. 'The bill is a balanced bill.' Lawler acknowledged that 'the administration's position is going to be vital' when it comes to building sufficient support in the full House and Senate. Sherman raised concerns over lifting sanctions after sectarian violence in Syria led to the death of a US citizen last week. He voted yes after Lawler agreed to adopt his amendment that would add a new condition for lifting sanctions: 'reasonable steps … to protect religious and ethnic minorities.' As the Trump administration seeks to bring Syria into the Abraham Accords, Lawler expressed optimism that his proposal could be a helpful tool. The president in May promised Syria's new president sanctions relief if Damascus agreed to pursue normalized relations with Israel. 'This, in implementation, can be used as a vehicle by which to help actually normalize economic ties with Israelis,' Lawler said. Lawler said the House Foreign Affairs Committee, which also has jurisdiction over Syria sanctions, will also need to mark up the legislation. Meeks said that committee was his preferred venue for further discussion about the proposal. ROOM FOR DISAGREEMENT Those advocating to repeal the Caesar Act make two main arguments. Republicans say it would provide Trump with the most flexibility possible; Democrats say it would be the best bet for protecting Syrians. 'Sanctions are not effective in what the goal here is,' Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., said. 'On the ground, it is the Syrian people that are hurting because of these sanctions.' The Syrian Emergency Task Force said in a press release Tuesday that the bill 'goes against President Trump's agenda of 'giving Syria a chance' and allowing long-term investment.' ELEANOR'S VIEW A lot of the uncertainty surrounding Lawler's bill can be attributed to its relatively short runway. He only introduced the proposal last week, which hasn't left much time for members to decide how they want to proceed. Either way, the Trump administration's approach is critical. If it endorses the legislation, Lawler's proposal is on a glide path to enactment. If the administration tries to pump the brakes, it seems inevitable that the bill's momentum slows. Semator
LBCI
7 hours ago
- LBCI
US envoy Tom Barrack's Lebanon meetings: Real progress or uncertainty?
Report by Raneem Bou Khzam, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi Amid heightened tensions and political uncertainty, questions loom over whether Lebanon is heading toward further escalation or a potential diplomatic breakthrough following a series of meetings between U.S. envoy Tom Barrack and Lebanese officials. While some political sources described the talks as positive, skepticism remains over whether the momentum can translate into concrete de-escalation on the ground. After a 90-minute meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Barrack described the talks as "great," with sources indicating the atmosphere was positive and a shift from the pessimism that dominated recent days. Still, it is too early to declare a breakthrough. Some of Barrack's other meetings were reportedly less encouraging. According to attendees, the envoy was left with the impression that Hezbollah remains firmly opposed to any handover of weapons and appears more inclined to risk war than engage in a diplomatic compromise that offers no concrete guarantees. Others who met with Barrack said he offered a hypothetical: if Lebanon requested a pause in hostilities and targeted killings and he conveyed that to the Israeli side, the likely response would be a flat rejection—possibly accompanied by a question: "Why should we give Lebanon such a pause?" With details of the talks tightly guarded, the situation remains opaque. In the words of Speaker Berri's now-famous expression, perhaps the best way to describe the moment is with "optimistic pessimism."
