U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack canceled a planned visit to southern cities in Lebanon Wednesday, Lebanon's National News Agency said, amid a backlash over remarks he made the previous day that have been criticized by Lebanese journalists as dehumanizing.

CBS News has sought confirmation from Barrack's office at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara of the change in his travel plans and any reasoning for it, but the reported move to cancel visits to Sour and Khiam, in southern Lebanon, came amid criticism online and protests against the American diplomat's expected presence.

Barrack, a longtime friend and fundraiser to President Trump who was sworn in earlier this year as U.S. Ambassador to Turkey, has drawn a backlash after urging journalists during a news conferen

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