Tom Barrack apologized for describing Lebanese journalists as 'animalistic' and expressed regret for his remarks after they provoked outrage across the Middle East. He reiterated a call for reporters to be civilised during a podcast interview with Mario Nawfal while noting that media were doing their job. Barrack acknowledged that he should have been more tolerant toward reporters who shouted questions after his meeting with President Joseph Aoun. He framed his comments as a plea for calm, tolerance and kindness, and emphasized concerns about chaotic interactions undermining efforts related to Lebanon and the wider region.
He nevertheless conceded he should have been more tolerant in his remarks to the reporters who shouted questions after he met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun earlier this week. Animalistic' was a word that I didn't use in a derogatory manner. I'm just saying: Can we calm down? Can we find some tolerance and kindness? Let's be civilised, said Barrack, who serves as ambassador to Turkiye and special envoy for Syria and Lebanon.
As he met reporters in the briefing room, he was met with a barrage of questions that left him visibly irritated. Please be quiet for a moment, Barrack said. And I want to tell you something: The moment this starts becoming chaotic like, animalistic we're gone. So, you want to know what's happening? Act civilised, act kind, act tolerant, because this is the problem with what is happening in the region.
Collection
[
|
...
]