Are Barrack's remarks a 'cover' for an Israeli attack?
The U.S. has given Israel a “green light” that allows it to wage military strikes on various regions of Lebanon to “terminate Hezbollah’s capabilities and block its attempt to rebuild its assets,” informed sources said.
In remarks to the Progressive Socialist Party’s al-Anbaa news portal, the sources considered U.S. envoy Tom Barrack’s latest alarming remarks as a “political cover for an expected Israeli aggression.”
“Washington and Tel Aviv are working on imposing a security agreement between Lebanon and Israel that includes a demilitarized zone inside Lebanese territory, in the vein of the security agreement that is expected to be signed between Syria and Israel in the coming days,” the sources added.
“The U.S. pressure for preventing the renewal of UNIFIL’s mandate represented a key point in this directions, and the U.S. viewpoint is based on what Barrack said about the army not possessing the capabilities to carry out the missions requested from it,” the sources went on to say.
The sources also linked between Barrack’s statements and Saudi Prince Yazid bin Farhan’s reported remarks that “all talk about conferences for supporting Lebanon and the Lebanese Army is premature unless the Lebanese government implements the arms monopoly plan and continues its negotiations with the World Bank.”
The sources also expected the fall season in Lebanon to be “hot and harsh on various levels.”
Barrack said Sunday that everything Lebanon is doing is talk without real action.
He told Sky News Arabia in an interview that Israel will not withdraw from the five occupied points and that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doesn't care about borders or red lines if he feels Israel is threatened.
Barrack also claimed that Hezbollah has been lately receiving USD 60 million monthly from unidentified sources and that the group is trying to rebuild itself.
He said the U.S. won't take military action against Hezbollah but urged the Lebanese government to act.
The situation in Lebanon is very difficult "but we have a good team in power," Barrack said.
In the interview, Barrack talking about the Middle East said that "peace is an illusion." "There's never been peace, there will probably never be peace."
