Dr. Benjamin Ballout, a dual U.S. and Lebanese citizen, global investor, and Chairman of Diplomatic Trade Ltd., has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan against U.S. Ambassador Tom Barrack.
Filed under Case No. 2:25-cv-12727-SJM-DRG on August 28, 2025, the lawsuit charges Ambassador Barrack with defamation, reckless misconduct, and degrading rhetoric following remarks in Beirut where he described Lebanese journalists as “animalistic” and invoked “colonial superiority.”
“When an American Ambassador labels Lebanese journalists ‘animalistic’ and cloaks diplomacy in colonial arrogance, it is not statesmanship — it is degradation,” said Dr. Ballout. “This case is not about money. It is about dignity, sovereignty, and defending Lebanon’s voice at the negotiating table.”
Barrack has served as a U.S. emissary in sensitive Lebanon-Israel negotiations. Dr. Ballout warns that such language undermines America’s credibility as a mediator.
“Peace cannot be negotiated only with politicians. Real peace begins with the people. Disrespecting them sabotages the process.”
Source: Websites
