A US envoy walks back his comments on Golan Heights that contradicted Trump’s position
BEIRUT (AP) — The U.S. special envoy to Syria and ambassador to Turkey on Sunday walked back his comments from two days ago that Israel “still” occupies the Golan Heights in violation of…
U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack clarified his comments on the Golan Heights on Sunday, retracting his earlier assertion that Israel "still" occupies the disputed territory. Barrack's remarks earlier this week conflicted with U.S. President Donald Trump's stance on the issue. The Golan Heights, captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed by the nation in 1981, is regarded by the United Nations and the majority of the global community as Syrian territory, not under Israel's control.
In a statement to The Associated Press on Sunday, Barrack clarified that his previous statement was not an endorsement of the United Nations' position on the Golan Heights. He emphasized that U.S. policy on the territory, which was established by Trump in 2019, remains unchanged. Barrack clarified his comments in an attempt to explain his stance against Israel's annexation in Lebanon, where Israeli forces are currently occupying areas following the latest Israel-Hezbollah war.
He also argued for negotiated agreements over territorial maps for long-term stability, citing the Golan Heights as an example of territories that remain contested due to forceful occupation. Barrack had criticized Israel's strikes on a Syrian airbase earlier in the week, aimed at preventing Turkey from establishing a presence there.
Israeli officials defended the strikes, asserting they were necessary to protect Israeli security and based on intelligence recommendations from the Israeli army.
Written by urgent.news from Associated Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
