Two large explosions have devastated the port area of Beirut resulting in numerous deaths and other casualties. According to Irish state news RTE this took place in an area where explosives were stored. Whether there is a terrorist connection is not yet known. Yet another tragedy for the ancient country of Lebanon, the most Christian country in Middle East where Beirut was dubbed " Paris of the east"
I'll wager that within 3 or 4 hours Hezbollah will issue a statement blaming Israel for the deaths and destruction and vowing revenge. The fact/accusation that the explosives in question belonged to Hezbollah will be ignored or swept aside. (FWIW, I don't think Israel had anything to do with it. Large explosions in areas with the possibility of lots of collateral damage isn't their style. I'm inclined to blame some poor schmuck who ducked behind a bunch of crates for a quick smoke, like he and his buddies had done dozens of times before. Besides, the crates are clearly marked as detergent or car parts -- nothing flammable or explosive.)
Short-lived mushroom cloud. A bit like the atom bombs of old (I know this WASN'T an atom bomb). Last I saw (mid-day Tuesday in USA) estimated 3,000 injured and 50 dead.
FLASHBACK: Netanyahu Warned the United Nations of Iranian Missile Stockpiles in Beirut Back in 2018 (VIDEO) ..... As reported earlier by Cristina Laila The National News Agency reported that the explosion was at a warehouse for firecrackers near the port. But now there are conflicting reports including a report at Al-Hadeth that claims the massive explosion was a Hezbollah warehouse in Beirut for missiles from Iran. Now this… Back in September 2018 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned global leaders at the United Nations that Hezbollaw was producing guided missiles at the sever location where the explosion occurred on Tuesday. Benjamin Netanyahu brought maps that disclosed Hezbollah missile stockpiles in areas around the Beirut airport. On Tuesday the massive blast near the Beirut port was inside the city limits. The missiles were placed near the Beirut port. (BBC) https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/20...an-missile-stockpiles-beirut-back-2018-video/
Praying for the priest who looks like he was struck by a section of the roof (and of course all other victims). O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!
No, as I noted earlier, collateral damage REALLY isn't in the Israeli playbook. I heard on NPR this morning that the PM of Lebanon issued a statement that the warehouse had been storing 1,200 TONS of ammonium nitrate! This HIGHLY EXPLOSIVE stuff is used in agriculture as well as bombs, and had been stored in that warehouse since 2014! The PM wants to know who approved storing explosive material in a residential area and why it was stored there for so long.
I suspect Israel is worried Trump might not get re-elected so they’re tying up loose ends before Trumps time in office ends.
have you seen the new video clearly showing a missile coming in from the sea then exploding? The explosion looked like a low grade nuke ie a bunker buster which would have been by the US or Israel. Very alarming what is happening in the middle east. Why did Trump call it a missile then change his tune? My guess Israel didn't like the comment. It's on www.rense.com if anyone wants to check it out.
Or to make it look like Israel did it. Israel would not do such in the daylight and would not want the civilian casualties. IOW, not dumb! Trump....never....always been in self defense and rather surgical!
who else has that kind of weaponry other than possibly Russia or I guess Iran or Syria who could have received it from Russia, but looks like it would have come from a boat in the Mediterranean Sea.
I don't think we will find out what happened behind this. Ammonium Nitrate doesn't typically explode like this without a catalyst mixed with it.
So the initial fire (fireworks?) would not have been sufficient as an ignition source? Keep in mind that it was over 1,200 TONS (not pounds or kilos) of ammonium nitrate held in a (probably) non-climate-controlled warehouse (i.e., think hot in the summer, cold in the winter, and the constant ocean humidity with corrosive salt air) for 6 years! That's gotta wreak havoc with the ammonium nitrate's stability.
As an initial source I'm sure it was but agricultural AN shouldn't have that level of explosive power unless something went really horribly wrong with storage. Ag grade can become unstable over a prolonged period if it is stored improperly but explosions like this with it are pretty rare. I do know that it is not uncommon to store large quantities in the hundreds of tons in ports like this if there are any issues with customs or import restrictions. My family ran a tug boat business for many years on the west coast moving all sorts of chemicals and materials. I'm just skeptical. The whole story just seems contrived to me. I just don't buy that it was the perfect storm. I wonder if it wasn't explosive grade AN. It's much more volatile and fireworks would be a huge no no even remotely in the vicinity.