Is there any glimmer of hope in the Beirut Blast investigation?

French Investigation team in Beirut conducting its assessment, Oct 17, 2020, photo credit: The 961.

Report By Fouad Kazan

Brief Overview

Although the Lebanese and international observers were hopeful that the FBI would disclose a revelation that would inflame the media, it unfortunately released an inconclusive report which left many questions unanswered. However, not all hope is lost as the judge overseeing the case is still awaiting the French Investigators’ report which is expected to be more comprehensive and conclusive than the one the FBI handed over, which had not determined whether the explosion was accidental or not. According to a judicial source, the French investigation is broader and more comprehensive than the mission of the Americans and even the British. Unlike their counterparts they dove into the 43-meters deep underwater crater to collect samples from the blast. They also took debris from surrounding buildings and cars to help pinpoint the cause of the explosion. As such, the incoming reports should help determine whether the deadly explosion was an intentional act of sabotage or merely an accident.

Humanitarian Aid

Bishop Julito Cortes of the Diocese of Dumaguete. (PNA file photo by Judy Flores Partlow)

Humanitarian aid to Lebanon, till this very moment, did not seize. Salesian missionaries from their diocese of Jbeil have ramped up their efforts to provide food and shelter for Lebanese and refugee families affected by the Aug. 4 explosion. In their last distribution, there were three separate distributions impacting 120 families, 175 families and 100 families. Moreover, the Diocese of Dumaguete sent financial aid (PHP800,000) to victims of the Beirut explosion through the international Catholic relief confederation, Caritas. In the Beqaa Valley, to substitute the importing capability of the port and to achieve self-sustainability, a Christian organization called Horizons International, is investing in agricultural lands to support Lebanon’s local produce.

In other news, the US government claimed that it would send Lebanon aid to rebuild areas damaged by the deadly Aug. 4 port blast, although nothing has yet materialized.

Communication and Public Relations Department