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00:00Who is Morgan Ortegas and why is she traveling to Lebanon again?
00:05A seasoned diplomat, a national security expert,
00:09she served as the U.S. State Department spokesperson between the years 2019 and 2021.
00:15She's a former intelligence officer and a Navy Reserve officer
00:19and has been a vocal advocate for a tough U.S. stance on Iran and Hezbollah.
00:25Now as the U.S. Deputy Special Envoy for Middle East Peace,
00:28she's taking on a high-stakes mission,
00:31pushing for stability in Lebanon and reinforcing Washington's red lines on Hezbollah.
00:37I'm certainly not afraid of Hezbollah.
00:40And I'm not afraid of them because they've been defeated militarily
00:43and we have set clear red lines in the United States
00:46that they won't be able to terrorize the Lebanese people
00:49and that includes by being a part of the government.
00:52Her visit comes at a critical moment.
00:55The February 18 deadline is fast approaching
00:58for the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon,
01:01part of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire.
01:04Ortegas is expected to return to Lebanon ahead of the deadline
01:08as Washington pushes for the full implementation of the ceasefire deal
01:12and a government free from Hezbollah's influence.