The Beirut Explosion

On the 4th of August, almost 3,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate fertilizer, stored unsafely since 2014 in a warehouse on the docks of Beirut, was set alight somehow, and caused a massive explosion which could be heard over six miles away. In the wake of this horrible incident, over a hundred Lebanese citizens have died, and over four thousand are in hospital. The explosion also caused massive structural damage in the immediate radius of the blast, and windows were shattered from miles away. The Lebanese Healthcare system was already under great strain due to the SARs-CoV2 virus, and a huge influx of four thousand new patients, some very critically injured, has placed the hospitals at breaking point.

The Response to the Responsible

Whoever is responsible for the explosion will suffer greatly, whether it is the government, or an outside actor. There have been speculations that Lebanese paramilitary Islamist group Hezbollah are responsible for the explosion, but with no motive clear as yet. The more likely outcome will be that the ammonium nitrate was stored incorrectly, and caught a spark accidentally. If the explosion is revealed to be a mere accident, the government will take all of the blame. If the warehouse caught alight on purpose, the government will shift attention away from themselves and towards justice against the perpetrators. The words used by the Lebanese President Michel Aoun as he addressed local press in the immediate aftermath of the explosion already suggest that he thinks someone is to blame; “Those responsible will pay the price.”

Is the Government to Blame?

Lebanon is a politically troubled nation, labeled by Freedom House as “partly free” since 2013. While it may not be as restrictive to human rights as some of its Middle Eastern neighbours, Lebanon has seen its fair share of corruption. The Government is still democratically elected, however. If it turns out that the ammonium nitrate exploded due to mismanagement and poor procedure by the government by storing the chemicals close to civilian housing, the sitting administration, consisting of the centre-right “Free Patriotic Movement” party, will be internationally admonished for their conduct. As such, it is expected that the President and Prime Minister of the country will do as much as they can to shift blame away from themselves, and towards their political rivals.

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