Lebanese President Michel Aoun has rejected requests for an international investigation into the explosion that tore apart Beirut, killing more than 150 people with over 5000 injured. The public protest against a government deemed incompetent is growing by the hour. Yesterday's demonstration caused deaths and injuries, the population praises the revolution, while Prime Minister Hassan Diab promises to call new elections. The police and the army manage in time to block Hezbollah groups ready to shoot the crowd as it was headed to take the Parliament, after having devastated the ministries of Foreign Affairs and Economy.
Calls for an international investigation aim to "distort the truth" and slow down the investigation, he said in a speech. Michael Aoun, my cabinet has already initiated an investigation into last Tuesday's blast. Despite Aoun's words, some Lebanese politicians, civil rights organizations, international human rights groups and the French president Emmanuel Macron, which was Thursday in Beirut, called for a transparent international investigation into the catastrophe.
Lebanese officials believe the explosion was caused by 2.750 tons of ammonium nitrate, a substance that can be used for both fertilizer and bomb making. The huge amount of material was stored for at least six years in a warehouse in the port of Beirut. It had been confiscated from a Moldovan ship there Roshus in 2014 (she was headed to Mozambique), blocked in the port because she was unable to pay airport taxes due to the bankruptcy of the owner company.
Aoun said the internal investigation - led by the judiciary and conducted by the military - has not yet identified the cause of the explosion, adding that all leads are being examined, including those of possible "external interference". Aoun also specified that the use of a missile, a bomb or any other type of action capable of activating the detonation is also under consideration. PRP Channel wrote about the probable involvement of small drones, documented by the videos below. What is certain is that it should be established whether they are the result of skilled photomontages.
The Lebanese president also asked Macron to provide satellite photos of the explosion. If they don't, we'll ask other countries for pictures to try to determine if the attack was caused by the outside or by the fire. Meanwhile Hassan Nasrallah, leader of Hezbollah, the Shiite Islamist political party, included by the US in the list of terrorist groups, denied the reports that spoke of military equipment or materials hidden in the port. Explosives experts said the smoke that releases ammonium nitrate is yellow and not white, typical of military weapons and ammunition. Some "open source" intelligence sources claim that Hezbollah has installed missile batteries between civilian buildings in Beirut aimed at Israel.
For now, most of the evidence suggests that the catastrophe was caused by the negligence of the port authorities who have already been arrested, even though the port director had repeatedly warned the government, via documented emails, of the danger of the material stored. at hub 12 and the need to carry out a remediation as soon as possible.
The US president raised the first suspicions about the use of a bomb last week Donald Trump after receiving some details from his generals. The day after, Mark Esper, his defense secretary contradicted the president, saying that the cause of the explosion was to be found in an accident.
Also Israel, which fought a war with Hezbollah in 2006 denied any involvement, offering support and aid to Lebanon.
Lebanon is grappling with a severe economic crisis exacerbated by the CoViD-19 pandemic, with 50 percent of the population living below the poverty line. The port of Beirut, now unusable, contributes to 65 percent of the country's economy, 5 hospitals in the Lebanese capital were destroyed by the explosion making it difficult to care for the more than 5000 injured and health care to the newly infected with coronavirus who in recent days they have been increasing at an alarming rate.
Meanwhile there are fierce clashes in Beirut. The crowd occupies two ministries praising the revolution by lashing out against the leader of Hezbollah and President Aoun. The government is already talking about early voting, a way to try to calm the spirits of the population.
For Lebanon, Cremonesi writes in Corriere della Sera, a period of serious uncertainty opens, which could lead to the armed reaction of the Shiite militias and possible bloodbaths. “We have nothing more to lose. Revolution, we hang these corrupt politicians. Revolution, let's throw everything down ”, tens of thousands praise, trying to cover their noses and mouths from the rain of tear gas fired by the army and police.
At the end of the day, the toll of the Lebanese Red Cross will be 240 injured among the demonstrators, while the Lebanese media report a policeman who died in the clashes. With the sun setting after XNUMX, the rioters manage to break into the building of the Foreign Ministry, led by a few dozen former soldiers who have been asking for an increase in pensions for months.
Hassan Nasrallah, the highest political exponent of Hezbollah, is also accused. People on the street send a clear signal: "They are fed up with submission to Iran through Hezbollah:" we want to go back to being an independent state. "
In the early evening, Prime Minister Hassan Diab via radio promises an independent investigation into the causes of the explosion and goes to ensure free elections within two months. The population: “Too late! We will hang you all, resign ”. This was followed by the taking of the offices of the most prestigious banking institutions and those of the Ministry of the Environment by the Ministry of the Economy.
Then headed for the parliament, but the barrage of the police force is impressive. Fortunately, the army manages to stop Hezbollah militiamen in time ready to fire on the crowd.