Lebanon

Sometimes the news cycle and the geo-political cycle simply part company. This is one such occasion – the devastation of Beirut Port. What happened there is destined to constitute a major geo-political event – whatever way its sequellae should cascade out and shape the future. There are good, historic reasons for this parting of the ways: One (which explains the regional silence), is that we have not yet had the forensics. Yes, satellite photos galore, but not the nitty-gritty from the ground. Not the forensics.

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator…
The sonic blast at the Port of Beirut on August 4 produced a huge white mushroom cloud that enveloped the port and then rose into the evening sky just after 6 pm.  However, the cloud of confusion and disbelief still fogs the minds of the Lebanese people, who demand answers and accountability.

Be aware that history has a way of repeating. Particularly when so many actually too many are unaware of history. So much of it having disappeared down the 'memory hole'disappearing the past

Alison Banville writes: I spent two weeks in Beirut in November 2019 when I thought it would be just one night. I was on my way to Syria and had previously stopped over in Beirut in 2017 and 2018 but never got the chance to explore the city. However, being ‘trapped’ in Beirut I fell in love with it and […]
The post The City We Love – BSNews Editors Speak About Beirut appeared first on BSNEWS.

The Saker | August 7, 2020

My Lebanese friend just sent me this report about Hassan Nasrallah’s speech today:
– There is much to say, but Sayyed did not allow the enemies any chance to turn this disaster into a ‘campaign’ against the Resistance, whereby the Resistance ‘reacts’ and gets led into their traps, further leading the country into chaos and destruction

Protests against Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, have raged on for weeks, turning violent sometimes. Israelis are furious at their government’s mediocre response to the coronavirus pandemic, especially as COVID-19 disease is experiencing a massive surge throughout the country.

Beirut’s explosion disaster is the product of a corrupt, sectarian political system maintained by foreign powers, Rania Masri argues. The catastrophic explosion in Beirut followed years of ignored warnings by government officials about the ammonium nitrate stored at the port. Lecturer and activist Rania Masri says that the disaster is the product of a corrupt, […]

Whatever shape this fallout takes, spare a thought for the people of Lebanon. Because no matter how it starts, crowds on the streets demanding NATO members "take action" never ends well for the Middle East.

As predicted. As was predictable. Birth Pangs.

Blast in Beirut- Birth Pangs

 The irregular warfare destabilization rumbling begins- Economic hit. Infrastructure hit. Food shortages.       

WhatsApp Image 2020-08-04 at 12.19.47
To see Beirut and its port area with a huge mushroom cloud hanging above is a truly surreal sight. But what is not surreal in battered Lebanese capital?
A big part of the downtown looks flattened, thoroughly ruined.
One of my Japanese friends based in Beirut exclaimed:

It looks like Hiroshima!