US envoy Tom Barrack told Lebanese journalists at a press conference at the country’s presidential palace on Tuesday to “act civilized,” sparking outcry and calls for an apology.
As journalists shouted questions after the US delegation’s meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Barrack stepped up to the podium in the packed room and said: “We’re going to have a different set of rules… please be quiet for a moment.”
“The moment that this starts becoming chaotic, like animalistic, we’re gone,” he said.
“Act civilized, act kind, act tolerant, because this is the problem with what’s happening in the region,” added Barrack, who is the US ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria and has recently been leading talks with Lebanese officials.
In a statement, the Lebanese presidency wrote that it “regrets the words that were mistakenly said by one of its guests on stage today… We wish to emphasize our full appreciation for all journalists and media representatives.”
Deputy US envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus was also present at the meeting. Barrack’s office has not apologized as of yet.
Lebanese Information Minister Paul Morcos, in a statement, also expressed regret at the remarks “by a member of the foreign delegation towards media representatives at the presidential palace.”
The photojournalists’ syndicate called Barrack’s comments “a direct insult” that set “a serious and totally unacceptable precedent.”
In a statement, it demanded “an immediate and public apology,” rejecting attempts to “downplay the seriousness of what happened or let it pass without accountability.”
The press editors’ syndicate also called for “a public statement of apology” and floated a boycott of the envoy’s future visits and meetings.
The union of journalists in Lebanon said Barrack’s remarks were “a reflection of an unacceptable arrogance in dealing with the media” and also called for an official apology.
Ibrahim Musawi, a lawmaker from the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group and head of parliament’s media committee, called the remarks “a blatant insult” and urged the government to “summon the US ambassador and reprimand her.”