February 08, 2025
By Nasser Kandil
• The remarks made by U.S. Deputy Envoy to the region, Morgan Ortagus, from the podium of the Presidential Palace in Baabda neither advance nor hinder the mission of her envoy, who was sent to oversee the implementation of the ceasefire agreement in southern Lebanon. If anything, they serve as proof of her weak character, stupidity, and brazenness – qualities that alone should be enough to disqualify her from diplomatic service. Why?
• Her statements are futile for two reasons. First, they will not lead to the disarmament of the resistance. Second, they will not result in Hezbollah’s removal from the government. Instead, they will only expose anyone who parrots this rhetoric as a mere Zionist mouthpiece, echoing the words of those who brandish the Star of David with pride.
• Her weak character is evident in her desperate attempt to earn praise from Tel Aviv – seeking accolades, applause, and perhaps even a medal from the occupation army, like those awarded to the child-killers of Gaza. A self-assured envoy, loyal to their country and committed to their mission, would not resort to such vulgarity to prove their strength.
• Her stupidity is clear in that her role requires her to issue judgments on which party is obstructing or violating the agreement. Each time she refuses to hold Israel accountable, her blatant allegiance will serve as evidence against her claims of being an impartial mediator. She could have been smarter, claiming that her priority is to ensure the success of her mission by maintaining equal distance from both sides – while exercising her bias in private. But she is foolish, and that is a fortunate thing.
• Her brazenness lies in standing at the podium of a head of state while praising that state’s declared enemy – a force responsible for killing thousands of its citizens and destroying its homes and infrastructure. Her audacity goes further in openly interfering in Lebanese affairs, a role her country is known for but typically carries out behind closed doors. Instead, she stood beside a president considered a friend of her country and presumed to dictate who should or should not be in his government – an act of disrespect not just toward him, but toward her own country’s diplomatic ties with Lebanon.
• It seems President Trump selected her for appearances alone, which explains why he himself expressed doubts about her success. She failed her first diplomatic test spectacularly. She should not take pride in the applause of a handful of Lebanese supporters, for they, like her, are foolish, shameless, and devoid of strength of character.
