US seeks transparent probe into Beirut blast
BEIRUT: The United States called on Saturday for a transparent and credible investigation into the massive port blast in Beirut that killed 172 people and said Lebanon could never go back to the days “in which anything goes” at its ports and borders.
The Aug.4 blast, which the authorities say was caused by more than 2,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate that had been unsafely stored at the port for years, injured 6,000 people, ruined entire neighbourhoods and let 300,000 homeless.
“Seeing it on television is one thing, seeing it up close is another. It’s really overwhelming,” David Hale, US Under-secretary of State for Political Affairs, said ater visiting the port.
“We can never go back to an era in which anything goes at the port or the borders of Lebanon that had to contribute to this situation,” he said.
He added that FBI agents would be arriving this weekend, at the invitation of Lebanon, to help find out what exactly happened and what led to the explosion.
The blast has fuelled anger at ruling politicians who were already facing heavy criticism over a financial meltdown that has sunk the currency, demolished the value of savings and let depositors unable to withdraw their money.
Some Lebanese doubt the authorities can carry out a proper investigation and say foreign countries should intervene.
“We can’t trust this government. They will lie to us. They should form an international commitee to investigate this,” said businessman Jimmy Iskandar.
President Michel Aoun has said a probe will look into whether the cause of the blast was negligence, an accident or “external interference.”
“They won’t do a thing in an investigation and the whole world knows that,” said painter Mohammed Khodr as he helped repair a restaurant damaged in the blast.
The explosion has pitched Lebanon into a new political vacuum since the resignation of the government, which had formed in January with backing of Hizbollah and its allies including Aoun.
Lebanon’s most senior Christian cleric said the Lebanese people and the international community had run out of patience with ruling politicians.
The United Nations launched an appeal on Friday to raise $565 million to help Lebanon recover from this month’s devastating port blast.
The UN said in a statement that the funds would be used to support Lebanon as it moves from immediate life-saving humanitarian relief towards rebuilding its shatered economy.