Lebanon Customs Chief Says Govt. Told of Danger

Arab World

August 6th, 6:15pm

Asharq Al-Awsat

This photo shows a general view of the scene of an explosion that hit the seaport of Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020. (AP)

The head of Lebanon’s customs department said one of the country's main security agencies reported to the Cabinet in the past year about the danger from explosive chemicals being stored at the port. Badri Daher told The Associated Press on Thursday that State Security had been investigating the stockpile of ammonium nitrate for the past year. He said it raised reports about the danger to the Cabinet, state prosecutor and other state institutions. Security officials were not immediately available for comment. He confirmed that he sent a letter in 2017 to a judge in which he warned of the “dangers if the materials remain where they are, affecting the safety of (port) employees” and asked the judge for guidance. Daher said he and his predecessor sent a total of six letters but never got a response. Media reports in the nation of Georgia said the tons of ammonium nitrate that exploded in Beirut originated from the Georgian city of Rustavi, home to a large chemical production plant. The company that operates the plant issued a statement on Thursday that neither confirmed nor denied the provenance of the 2,750 tons of the chemical stored in a Beirut warehouse that is believed to have been touched off by a fire. The ammonium nitrate — a highly explosive component of fertilizers — had been stored there since 2013 despite repeated warnings. Rustavi Azot said it has been operating the plant “only for the past three years” and was unable to confirm whether the ammonium nitrate was produced in Georgia or in the city of Rustavi.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2433601/lebanon-customs-chief-says-govt-told-danger