Lebanese News and Updates – Telegram
Lebanese News and Updates
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Covering Lebanon and occasionally MENA's conflicts. And currently, the war in Palestine.
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- Both the media Macron didn't cover the extensive damage in Khandaq Al-Ghamiq, Zkak El-Blat, Al-Nuwairi, Al-Basta, Mar Elias and Msaytbeh.

Aside from the extensive damage there, there are couple deaths in Khandaq Al Ghamiq too.
- The meeting held at the Pine Residence between Macron and the heads of parliamentary blocs has ended
- Joumblat and Frangieh are now talking on TV about their discussions with Macron, regarding the "change of the way of working".

- Hariri left without speaking.

- Gemayil said: " I'm so happy with what Macron said".
- The Syrian intelligence doesn't believe that what happened in Beirut Port was an accident, yet there is no hard evidence.

Source: @WithinSyriaBlog
- USA: McKenzie informed Gen. Aoun of the impending delivery of three C-17s shipments of U.S. relief supplies including food, water, and medical supplies Gen. McKenzie expressed U.S. willingness to continue to work with the Lebanese Armed Forces to help provide aid and assistance
More and more some people still insist that the ammonium nitrate was for Hezbullah. But here are some facts.

Regardless how they staying there for 7 years and not moved to Hezbullah locations, and how bad they were stored unlike Hezbullah's standards, here is some info.
According to what we know, the ammonium nitrate arrived to Lebanon in late 2013 on a ship with a Moldova flag, destined to the Mozambique, it was never meant to be offload in Beirut nor was it destined to the middle East at all.

So why did it end up in Beirut? https://t.co/vdnSSnU3ZP
The ship crew was near Lebanon and informed the Lebanese port that they were facing technical issues and asked to dock for an technical help.

When it docked, the Lebanese deemed it a risk and it couldn't continue its journey. The crew then was stranded for days. https://t.co/p5KQ1QGKwm
But then Lebanon received several arrest warrant for the ship for unspecified reasons, and its owners then decided to forfeit the cargo and the ship.

Forfeiting happens usually. https://t.co/ogf1WYQST1
After that, lawyers helped them to leave the ship and Lebanon, to go back home, claiming risk and human rights. They were allowed to leave. https://t.co/7hn9BXXoAi
The port then had to deal with a ship and a dangerous cargo.

- Local judiciary reports indicate that the judge ordered the port authorities to surrender the cargo to the ministry of construction, after that the Lebanese army was informed of its existence.

- The Lebanese army is usually the one tasked with guarding all the exports and imports of such material. This said, the army was informed but stated it did not need the material. The port told so to the judge, so as to allow the sale of the material.

An issue is that the port authorities were speaking to an improper judicial court. The judge insisted to surrender the cargo to the ministry, but the port kept ignoring. During that period, the cargo was stored where seized material is placed. The legal status of the judicial seizure was questionable, since the owners forfeited the material.

- The port authorities kept responding on a regular basis from 2014 that the army does not want the cargo and were requesting the sale to "Majid Al Shamass", an exclusive importer of explosives in Lebanon.

- Since then, nothing has changed. The port was waiting for a legal loop hole to proceed to the sale.
That aside, does Mozambique really import large amounts of ammonium nitrate? It does.

The Georgian authorities confirmed the shipment was for Mozambique. (Georgia is the country of origin —the sole producer of nitrate in the Caucasus) . https://t.co/9QPiApQ4To
Mozambique is an importer of ammonium nitrate, used for fertilization and for mining work.

The material can be mixed with tannerite for mining.

This is a list of Mozambique's imports. https://t.co/MEEtc8gPcI
Mozambique imported up to 26,377 tons of ammonium nitrate in 2017.

This is why there's no need to speculate about whom the 2,750 tons in Beirut were meant for. That's just 10% of their yearly imports. https://t.co/4HEaFSB9Wf
Conclusion: there is no doubt that this exact shipment of ammonium nitrate was not intended for Hezbullah or stored for Hezbullah.

It ended up there by accident, and corruption/incompetence kept it there awaiting a legal justification for selling for personal benefit.
- The central bank just froze all assets of 7 culprits in the incident, including Hasan Quraytem, Shafik Merhi, Badri Daher, and other officials. https://t.co/d713fdQhUB
- Macron stated live that Lebanon needs to change its system and formulate a new political formulation. https://t.co/MrPa7RU8i9