U.S. Envoy Clarifies Golan Heights Comments After Contradicting President Trump's Stance
The U.S. special envoy to Syria and ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, has clarified earlier remarks regarding the Golan Heights. On Sunday, Barrack walked back comments made two days prior in an interview, where he stated that Israel 'still' occupies the Golan Heights in violation of U.N. resolutions. These initial remarks contradicted President Trump's 2019 recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the territory, a move that reversed decades of U.S. policy. Barrack explained that his earlier statement was intended to describe the historical status of the territory, not to endorse the United Nations' position. He affirmed that U.S. policy on the Golan Heights, as set by President Trump in 2019, remains unchanged. Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it in 1981, a move not recognized by the United Nations or most of the international community, which considers it occupied Syrian land. Barrack's clarification comes after his initial comments sparked backlash, includ... 
