Colin Sheridan: US foreign policy arrogance in Lebanon is a warning sign for Ireland

A US envoy’s scolding of Lebanese journalists reveals a deeper truth: Ireland too risks humiliation if it remains overdependent on America

US special envoy Tom Barrack acted in a superior fashion befitting the foreign policy of the country he represents last Tuesday when he ordered a room full of Lebanese journalists in Beirut to — I kid you not — “behave'. File photo: AP/Hussein Malla

When I first arrived in Lebanon, I did so armed with one simple piece of advice: Never advise a Beiruti how to dress. Now, I’d never be so stupid as to do such a thing to anyone from anywhere, but I quickly understood the broader sentiment.

When in the Levant, and Lebanon in particular, it is wise not to tell your hosts what to wear, how to speak, what to eat. You are, after all, a guest in their home, and as a people they possess a culture, language, and self-confidence so rich it would shame Solomon.