Ticking Time Bomb
U.S. Envoy Tom Barrack: Hezbollah is Stronger than the Lebanese State
In a stark warning, senior U.S. envoy Tom Barrack declared that Lebanon is running out of time to confront Hezbollah, accusing the Iran-backed militia of hoarding more cash than the Lebanese army and maintaining a vast missile arsenal threatening Israel.
A senior American envoy warned on Saturday that Lebanon has "no time" to delay disarming Hezbollah, accusing the terror group of amassing funds exceeding the Lebanese army's budget and retaining thousands of missiles that continue to threaten Israel.
Tom Barrack, speaking during a visit to Bahrain's capital, Manama, emphasized the urgency amid daily Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon. "Israel attacks southern Lebanon every day because Hezbollah's weapons still exist, and it has thousands of missiles in southern Lebanon that continue to threaten Israel," he said.
He criticized the lack of dialogue between Lebanon and Israel, noting that while Israel is prepared to reach an agreement on border demarcation, it may respond within Lebanese territory based on developments. "It is unacceptable that there should be no dialogue between Lebanon and Israel," he added.
He also described Lebanon as teetering on the edge of a failed state, with its army facing shortages in financial resources and manpower despite the resilience of its leadership. He claimed Hezbollah receives more funding than the Lebanese military itself.
He said, "There’s no central bank. The banking system is bust. There’s no electricity, people rely on private generators. For water and education, you need private providers. So what’s the state? The state is Hezbollah ... In the south, Hezbollah provides water, education. It has 40,000 soldiers; the LAF has 60,000. But Hezbollah soldiers make $2,200 a month, LAF soldiers $275. Hezbollah has 15–20,000 rockets and missiles; LAF soldiers have old jeeps and AK-47s. What’s happening here?” as reported by Open Source Intel.
The remarks come as Egypt has put forward a new mediation proposal to end the conflict between Israel and Lebanon, according to a report earlier Saturday in the Lebanese newspaper Al-Liwaa.
The initiative, presented this week by Egypt's intelligence chief, calls for a cease-fire lasting more than three months. During this period, Israeli attacks would halt entirely, and Lebanese prisoners held in Israel would be released in exchange for Hezbollah's complete withdrawal from areas south of the Litani River.
Additionally, direct talks would occur between Egypt and Hezbollah's leadership to devise a "political-security formula" under international auspices for handling the group's weapons north of the Litani River. Simultaneously, the Israel Defense Forces would withdraw from remaining positions inside Lebanon.
In the final stage, land borders between Israel and Lebanon would be delineated, with Egypt offering to mediate between Lebanon and Syria to resolve the dispute over Mount Dov, also known as the Shebaa Farms.