The FBI will cooperate with Lebanese and other international investigators in the probe of the enormous explosion at the port of Beirut that killed more than 170 people, causing thousands of wounded and widespread destruction, a U.S. diplomat said on Thursday.
Lebanese authorities have invited the FBI to take part, and it is one way Washington can help the country deal with the aftermath of the disaster, said US Under Secretary for Political Affairs David Hale as he toured Gemmayzeh , which was damaged by the August 4 blast.
“The FBI will soon join Lebanese and international investigators at the invitation of the Lebanese to help answer questions I know everyone has about the circumstances leading up to this explosion,” he told reporters.
Lebanese army soldiers carry aid kits past a wrecked car near the scene of last week’s explosion near the port of Beirut, Lebanon [AP Photo/Hassan Ammar]
It is not yet known what caused the fire responsible for ignoring nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate that had been stored in the port of Beirut for years. But documents have emerged showing that the country’s top leadership and security officials were aware of the situation. French researchers are also taking part in the probe.
Lebanese officials on Thursday agreed to appoint a judicial investigator to lead the probe under the auspices of the Supreme Judicial Council, which deals with crimes that infringe on the country’s national security, as well as political and state security. crimes.
The U.S. embassy said in a statement that Hale had “reiterated the United States’ commitment to help the Lebanese people recover from the tragedy and to rebuild their lives.” He will also emphasize the “urgent need” for fundamental reform by Lebanon’s leaders.
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Beirut explosion: 70,000 houses under buildings damaged |
To date, Washington has provided $ 18 million in humanitarian aid provided by the U.S. Department of International Development and the Department of State and Defense.
The United States is one of the largest donors to the Lebanese army. But Washington considers Hezbollah, a powerful political player in government and parliament, a terrorist group. U.S. officials have expressed concern about not providing aid to the Hezbollah-backed government.
The government resigned Monday, but remains in a state of disarray. The dismissal came almost a week after the deadly explosion that devastated the capital’s port and damaged neighborhoods in the capital.
The World Bank said in a preliminary assessment that about 50,000 housing units were damaged and 80 percent of housing and infrastructure were affected, excluding the destruction to the port. Wastewater systems in central Beirut and an electrical substation in one neighborhood were also severely damaged, it said.
“Apart from the human tragedy, the economic impact of the explosion could be huge,” the report said, including a decline in trade, economic activity and government revenue.
An earlier estimate by Beirut governor Marwan Abboud said the blast caused $ 10 billion to $ 15 billion in damage, leaving nearly 300,000 people homeless.
On Thursday, Lebanon’s parliament approved a state of emergency in Beirut in its first session since the explosion, prompting military militias to deal with growing popular anger over official corruption and mismanagement and political uncertainty.
Lebanese army soldiers are deployed during a protest following the explosion in Beirut, Lebanon [Thaier Al-Sudani/Reuters]
The disaster has lifted popular anger against Lebanon’s leaders to a new level as the country faces an unusual economic and financial crisis, along with the coronavirus pandemic.
Before declaring the dismissal, the government declared a state of emergency that gave the army the power to declare happiness, prevent public meetings and censor the media, as citizens also refer to military tribunals for proven security breaches.
The move has been criticized by legal groups and others who say the civilian government is already working with increased forces due to the outbreak of coronavirus. Some pointed to the military disruption of Protestants last week, fearing that the expanded forces could lead to dissent of silence.
Parliament approved the state of emergency on Thursday, eight days after it was imposed as required by law. But it was not clear if the body had technically extended the government decision for 15 days or simply imposed the state of emergency from Thursday, said court lawyer Nizar Saghieh.
“There’s incredible chaos,” Saghieh said. He said the only justification for the emergency was to extend the power of the state and security agencies and “control the opposition”.
“We were waiting for the army to help with the reconstruction, not to be an extension of power,” he said.
Lawmaker Simon Abi Ramieh called on parliament to form a commission to investigate the blast, protesting that it had convened to vote on the state of emergency that has been in operation since the government passed it.
“We live in a state of institutional error,” he said. “We are in one place and the Lebanese people are somewhere else … The public wants to know the truth behind the negligence that led to the explosion.”
The political landscape of Lebanon is shocked by the explosion. Before proposing the dismissal, the prime minister proposed early elections, an idea that was not supported by the parliamentary speaker and other political groups.
Since the dismissal, there has been a floor of meetings with closed doors and political haggling to form a government that complies with the approval of domestic and international powers. The complex political system involved in Lebanon requires that the Prime Minister be elected from among Sunni Muslims. It was not clear if there would be a national unity government – which would mean the participation of all political parties – as a government for emergency relief.
France’s defense minister was due to arrive in Beirut on Thursday amid a flurry of foreign visits to the infamous country. France has led efforts to help Lebanon escape the drastic blow, including talks with political parties to speed up the formation of a new government.
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