Catastrophe in Beirut

By Engr. Edgar Mana-ay

 

In October 2013, the Russian cargo ship MV Rhosus sailed from Georgia (in Russia) to Mozambique (in Africa) carrying 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate, a material used for the manufacture of fertilizers or EXPLOSIVES. It is a mystery why the Rhosus diverted to Beirut (way out of its route to Africa) where its cargo was seized by the Lebanese authorities, then unloaded for storage in a warehouse near the pier.

Last August 11 a welder was closing a gap in the hole of an adjoining warehouse storing fireworks stocks. This caused the stored fireworks to catch fire and explode. Though potentially highly destructive, ammonium nitrate does not typically detonate easily but the setting off of nearby fireworks ignited the nitrates, leading to the largest single explosion in Lebanon history, equivalent to a small atomic bomb.

The 2,700-ton ammonium nitrate caused a devastating explosion, killing at least 180 Lebanese, injuring another 6,000 and rendering homeless about 300,000 whose houses were rendered unlivable. Losses and damages are believed to be in the billions of dollars. Shock waves from the explosion caused damages to windows, doors and ceilings of homes as far as 4 km. from ground zero.

As a background, Lebanon, a former French colony of 7 million people, is a narrow strip of territory along the Mediterranean Sea whose land is bordered by Israel and Syria. The country is a political cauldron of diverse and warring ethnic, cultural, religious and political groups. Included in this mind-boggling explosive mix are the Shiites (24%), Sunni (24%), Christians called the Moronites (40%), which has its own private army called the Phalanges’ fully equipped by Israel and other minorities such as the Druze (5%); the Greek Orthodox, Greek Catholics, an increasing Palestinian refugees, the terrorist Hezbollah and finally a small Jewish population.

There is an unwritten convention in Lebanon that the President must be a Moronite Christian, the Premier a Sunni Moslem and the Speaker of the National Assembly a Shiite Moslem. The Sunni and Shiites, while both Muslims, are mortal enemies led by Iran and Saudi Arabia, respectively. Until 1960 (before the growth of this explosive mixture of people, belief, ideology and culture started to congregate in Lebanon) the country was the center of business in the Middle East and the playground of Europe. This writer still remembers the spillover of those astute and successful Lebanese businessmen in Iloilo like the Ysmaels whose Ysmael Steel Company (my first employment right after graduation) basketball team was the best in the 60s and the patriarch of the Caram family.

But the past 50 years, Lebanon has greatly deteriorated from an economic giant and peaceful country to one rocked by wars such as the 1975 to 1990 civil wars involving the Sunni, Shiites, Christians, Hezbollah, Palestinian refugees with interference from Iran, Syria and Israel. (labugay Middle East style).

Decades of corruption and mismanagement by an entrenched political class also heavily contributed to the economic free fall of Lebanon. Lebanon’s rulers, many of them warlords and militias holdovers from the days of the 1975-90 civil war, have proven to be extremely resilient. They hang on their seats from one election to the next, largely because of the country’s sectarian power-sharing system and antiquated electoral laws that allow them to be with virtual impunity while guaranteeing their political survival. Of all the present problems of Lebanon, the most serious is the shadow government of the Iranian backed terrorist group Hezbollah which controls many aspects of Lebanese society. Armed and financed by Iran, they maintained their own army openly in defiance of the national army of Lebanon and maintains storage of tens of thousands Iranian artillery rockets and other heavy armaments all aimed at destroying the state of Israel.

It is no secret that Hezbollah stores weapons and missiles across Lebanon underneath soccer fields, in hangars at Hariri airport and even at the main port where diplomatic officials said that Hezbollah operates its own terminal – a place it can unload containers filled with missiles and explosives without needing to go through customs or other inspections.

These weapons often stay at the port for weeks before they are moved to their private homes and other locations. Is it possible some of those armaments not transferred contributed to the Hugh explosion? These stored weapons will invite a preemptive strike into Lebanon by Israel like what happened on July 13, 2006.

Israel warplanes bombed 100 locations inside Lebanon where the Iranian rockets were stored destroying all of them including of course buildings, homes and lives both Hezbollah and Lebanese. Since it is not the obsession of Lebanon to drive the Israelites to the sea they should therefore get rid of squatter and alien Hezbollah if they want their country to recover otherwise it will always invite an armed incursion by Israel which will be devastating.

The Lebanese people rose and protested in the street many times before, including 15 years ago when former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was assassinated in a truck bombing. In 2015, there was also a countrywide protest due to the garbage collection crisis and then again most recently in October at the onset of the economic crisis. Each time, they eventually became disillusioned and beset by divisions as different political and ethnic groups hijacked and co-opted their protests.

The conflicting interests of the different groups and Lebanon’s politicians representing those varied groups were far too deeply entrenched in the system that will never bring the required reforms. Even the latest catastrophic blast, historically speaking, causing this indignation protests in the streets CANNOT serve as a catalyst for a transformation in the system of government. To think that this catastrophic blast will push the governing and ruling elite in Lebanon to institute changes on their own, is an illusory thinking.

In a sense our country is somewhat like Lebanon, only the economic, the peace and order problems (Muslims and NPA separatists) are certainly on a lower scale. Until the 1970’s we are way, way ahead of Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and Thailand as far as economic prosperity is concerned.

Now we are at the tail end of these countries especially Vietnam (we are now importing rice from Vietnam whose scholars studied at the Rice Institute in Los Banos) which was devastated by 15 years of war with the Americans. As in Lebanon, graft and corruption, and peace and order are the most relevant factors in the progress of any country.

We have to learn from the Lebanon experience. We have to take heed of what Douglas Adams, (1952-2001), said: Human beings who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.”