Explosion in Beirut, Lebanon

[Lord of the Dance]

No thread on this yet?

It seems they are blaming a Russian cargo ship for the explosion of ammonium nitrate that has caused devastation in Beirut. Whatever the cause and manner are eventually confirmed to be, RIP to all the victims. Man those people just can't win, can they?

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/05/world/middleeast/beirut-lebanon-explosion.html

[dcguyusa]

Note that the 75th anniversary of the Hiroshima A-bomb detonation is this Thursday (tomorrow).  Is this more than a coincidence?   

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ww2-anniversary-hiroshima-nagasaki-fi/japan-set-to-mark-75-years-since-hiroshima-nagasaki-atomic-bombing-idUSKCN25003N

[BillyB]

Russians abandoned their ship in Beirut's port. Probably no valid buyer of the ammonium nitrate since nobody stepped forward to request the completion of delivery. If someone ordered 2750 tons of ammonium nitrate, they probably needed it. A lot of valuable product abandoned. Maybe nobody ordered it. Maybe Russia wanted to donate fireworks to the Arab Spring celebration.

[Lord of the Dance]

Apparently the (partly) Ukrainian crew were trapped aboard the ship while she was docked in Beirut for almost two years before escaping to Odessa. What an odd story with a sad ending.

[AvHdB]

What a disaster, it is sad those who are far removed and innocent get this to deal with. Some parts evidence are missing or perhaps there is an agenda behind the article. When I find time I can do some research.

My instinct says this is more due to greed and perhaps incompetence than any agenda of a government. 

[Lord of the Dance]

What a disaster, it is sad those who are far removed and innocent get this to deal with. Some parts evidence are missing or perhaps there is an agenda behind the article. When I find time I can do some research.

My instinct says this is more due to greed and perhaps incompetence than any agenda of a government. 

As they say, follow the money.   

[BillyB]

Apparently the (partly) Ukrainian crew were trapped aboard the ship while she was docked in Beirut for almost two years before escaping to Odessa. What an odd story with a sad ending.

So nobody wanted to claim the ship, the cargo or the crew. I will make an official statement that I had nothing to do with that ship and cargo! I know nothing.

[Markje]

Apparently the (partly) Ukrainian crew were trapped aboard the ship while she was docked in Beirut for almost two years before escaping to Odessa. What an odd story with a sad ending.

So nobody wanted to claim the ship, the cargo or the crew. I will make an official statement that I had nothing to do with that ship and cargo! I know nothing.

According to dutch news, the explosives were confisquated but due to government corruption it remained untouched ever since. No mention of a Russian ship anywhere. Not on my favorite newssites though.

[Markje]

So,

The anti-Russian narrative is strong in good old USA.

Dutch news facts:
 2000+ tons of ammoniate nitrate exploded in Beirut
 The explosives were confisquated and previously owned by hezbollah.
 The explosives weren't moved nor touched because of government corruption since its confisquation by the gov't.
 The explosives went off due to unknown reason as of today. (word on the street: welding maintenance on a steel door)

And the most damning event against USA media:
https://www.geenstijl.nl/5154725/breek-giga-explosies-in-beirut-libanon/

The live video, which clearly shows it a land-based xplosion so no Ru-ship. (nice and short to the point video of 3 whole seconds.).

[Texan77]

So,

The anti-Russian narrative is strong in good old USA.

Dutch news facts:
 2000+ tons of ammoniate nitrate exploded in Beirut
 The explosives were confisquated and previously owned by hezbollah.
 The explosives weren't moved nor touched because of government corruption since its confisquation by the gov't.
 The explosives went off due to unknown reason as of today. (word on the street: welding maintenance on a steel door)

And the most damning event against USA media:
https://www.geenstijl.nl/5154725/breek-giga-explosies-in-beirut-libanon/

The live video, which clearly shows it a land-based xplosion so no Ru-ship. (nice and short to the point video of 3 whole seconds.).

What are you saying the US got wrong? Please explain!

[BillyB]

So,

The anti-Russian narrative is strong in good old USA.

Dutch news facts:
 2000+ tons of ammoniate nitrate exploded in Beirut
 The explosives were confisquated and previously owned by hezbollah.
 The explosives weren't moved nor touched because of government corruption since its confisquation by the gov't.
 The explosives went off due to unknown reason as of today. (word on the street: welding maintenance on a steel door)

And the most damning event against USA media:
https://www.geenstijl.nl/5154725/breek-giga-explosies-in-beirut-libanon/

The live video, which clearly shows it a land-based xplosion so no Ru-ship. (nice and short to the point video of 3 whole seconds.).

Your website seems like a Twitter feed where anybody can comment. Nobody said it explosion came from  a Russian ship. Russian ship broke down in 2013 and it's contents were confiscated and stored in a land based warehouse. Lebanese officials stupid for storing that much explosives in a populated city. Who was the buyer of those explosives is what I'm wondering and why they didn't request completion of the delivery.

[BillyB]

Story of owner, crew and ship. Russian ship flying under Moldavian flag.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/lead-up-to-beirut-blast-a-russian-businessman-a-decrepit-ship-a-single-spark/

[Lord of the Dance]

So,

The anti-Russian narrative is strong in good old USA.

Dutch news facts:
 2000+ tons of ammoniate nitrate exploded in Beirut
 The explosives were confisquated and previously owned by hezbollah.
 The explosives weren't moved nor touched because of government corruption since its confisquation by the gov't.
 The explosives went off due to unknown reason as of today. (word on the street: welding maintenance on a steel door)

And the most damning event against USA media:
https://www.geenstijl.nl/5154725/breek-giga-explosies-in-beirut-libanon/

The live video, which clearly shows it a land-based xplosion so no Ru-ship. (nice and short to the point video of 3 whole seconds.).

I haven't had time to read all the articles that the media is publishing, I may've just misunderstood that the contents exploded aboard ship (ie. don't blame them for my mistake)... it seems maybe they moved it into storage silos / warehouse? But it appears accurate to say that the explosive material arrived via ship and was stored at / near the water. I haven't heard any reference to Hezbollah yet... but definitely a possibility. I would be slow to criticize any media outlets until we know exactly what the circumstances are. I get that their job is to find and report the truth, but beyond the obvious political bias anyone can make a mistake in reporting.

What I heard is that the ammonium nitrate left Batumi in Georgia and was destined for Mozambique in Africa (back in 2013) but ended up stopping in Beirut after the ship had mechanical problems and then became stuck there due to customs issues and/or a lack of funding. But maybe even this information is inaccurate. Whether it was accidental or intentional, I'm sure many terrorists are quite pleased to see the destruction.

[Markje]

Your website seems like a Twitter feed where anybody can comment. Nobody said it explosion came from  a Russian ship. Russian ship broke down in 2013 and it's contents were confiscated and stored in a land based warehouse. Lebanese officials stupid for storing that much explosives in a populated city. Who was the buyer of those explosives is what I'm wondering and why they didn't request completion of the delivery.

The website is one of the biggest right-wing websites in the Netherlands. And no it is not open to anyone, just for news-editors which are 4 or so.

The buyer of the explosives was mentioned: Hezbollah. After confisquation they were supposed to be auctioned off, but according to the harbour master that event never happened because of corruption. Multiple documents , complaints, etc. were sent by the harbour master to get rid of the dangerous stuff.

As to what the usa did wrong: The title of the thread was first different. It got corrected since.

[BillyB]

The buyer of the explosives was mentioned: Hezbollah. After confisquation they were supposed to be auctioned off, but according to the harbour master that event never happened because of corruption. Multiple documents , complaints, etc. were sent by the harbour master to get rid of the dangerous stuff.

What we get for news is the Lebanese officials seized the ship due to irregularities and the ship was supposed to go to Mozambique but who knows if the documents weren't forged. The Russian owner abandoned ship and cargo. Some say Hezbollah has ties with the Lebanese government but apparently Hezbollah never used it for any of their activities unless they had plans for it in the future. 2750 tons of ammonium nitrate is serious stuff. Powerful like a small nuke bomb and now 300,000 people are homeless.

[Lord of the Dance]

As to what the usa did wrong: The title of the thread was first different. It got corrected since.

As I said Mark, I misunderstood the article I read last night and thought that the ship itself exploded. You can blame me for the inaccurate thread title but you can't blame the USA for my mistake.

It seems pretty obvious that this major event in some way involves Russian / Ukrainian crew members and a Russian cargo ship. No one here at RUA was discussing said major event so I started a thread on it. My sincere apologies that the title was inaccurate but this mistake was nothing more and nothing less than my failure to understand the situation. I know that some of you pick sides and chose to 'love' or 'hate' Russia, but I don't play that game. I have an interest in Russia, in Ukraine and of course in the USA, but publicly I desire to remain neutral in matters of international political discussion. For the record, had I believed that a cargo ship from the US exploded in the port of Beirut, that would've been the title of this thread.

[Markje]

The buyer of the explosives was mentioned: Hezbollah. After confisquation they were supposed to be auctioned off, but according to the harbour master that event never happened because of corruption. Multiple documents , complaints, etc. were sent by the harbour master to get rid of the dangerous stuff.

What we get for news is the Lebanese officials seized the ship due to irregularities and the ship was supposed to go to Mozambique but who knows if the documents weren't forged. The Russian owner abandoned ship and cargo. Some say Hezbollah has ties with the Lebanese government but apparently Hezbollah never used it for any of their activities unless they had plans for it in the future. 2750 tons of ammonium nitrate is serious stuff. Powerful like a small nuke bomb and now 300,000 people are homeless.

I still fail to see how a ship from 6 years ago is still relevant. It was in a warehouse 6 years. And those hezbollah ties were the reason for confisquation

[Markje]

As to what the usa did wrong: The title of the thread was first different. It got corrected since.

As I said Mark, I misunderstood the article I read last night and thought that the ship itself exploded. You can blame me for the inaccurate thread title but you can't blame the USA for my mistake.

It seems pretty obvious that this major event in some way involves Russian / Ukrainian crew members and a Russian cargo ship. No one here at RUA was discussing said major event so I started a thread on it. My sincere apologies that the title was inaccurate but this mistake was nothing more and nothing less than my failure to understand the situation. I know that some of you pick sides and chose to 'love' or 'hate' Russia, but I don't play that game. I have an interest in Russia, in Ukraine and of course in the USA, but publicly I desire to remain neutral in matters of international political discussion. For the record, had I believed that a cargo ship from the US exploded in the port of Beirut, that would've been the title of this thread.

I get it. I have no opinion of russia. I just try to expose western propaganda  when я смотру

[andrewfi]

It would not be accurate to suggest that Russian or Ukrainian seamen were in any way responsible for what happened.

The ship carrying the material was offloaded 7(?) years ago by the port authorities. The port authorities chose the location, designed to be temporary, and had been trying to get the ammonium nitrate removed for years.

The chemical was still in place because no agreement on what to do with the stuff had been agreed. The involvement of the shipping company and crew ended years ago at the point when the cargo was seized and changed hands.

[BillyB]

I still fail to see how a ship from 6 years ago is still relevant. It was in a warehouse 6 years. And those hezbollah ties were the reason for confisquation

If you're Lebanese, of course how it got to Beirut is relevant. You think the citizens will ignore that?

Was the ship flying under another flag, Moldavian, to decrease its chances of getting noticed and inspected? Was the ship supposed to go to Africa and if so, why did the buyer abandon their purchase? Why did the supplier not find another carrier to deliver their product so they can get paid? A lot of money and product abandoned and it's a product that is equivalent to a small nuke.

[Lord of the Dance]

I still fail to see how a ship from 6 years ago is still relevant. It was in a warehouse 6 years. And those hezbollah ties were the reason for confisquation

It would not be accurate to suggest that Russian or Ukrainian seamen were in any way responsible for what happened.

The ship carrying the material was offloaded 7(?) years ago by the port authorities. The port authorities chose the location, designed to be temporary, and had been trying to get the ammonium nitrate removed for years.

The chemical was still in place because no agreement on what to do with the stuff had been agreed. The involvement of the shipping company and crew ended years ago at the point when the cargo was seized and changed hands.

I'm not insinuating that the crew were in any way responsible for the explosion, just pointing out that this story has ties to Russia and Ukraine. I'm not sure anyone remembers the days when this forum was actually about Russia and Ukraine. Now it's just about arguing with the forum troll. 

[Manny]

Even on the corrupt BBC, this seems to be the relevant bit:

While sailing through the eastern Mediterranean the Rhosus suffered "technical problems" and was forced to dock at Beirut's port, according to a 2015 report for industry newsletter Shippingarrested.com that was written by Lebanese lawyers who represented the crew.

The Rhosus was inspected by port officials and "forbidden from sailing", the lawyers said. Most of the crew were repatriated, except for the Russian captain, Boris Prokoshev, and three others, who were reportedly Ukrainians.

Mr Prokoshev told Reuters news agency on Thursday that the Rhosus was leaking but seaworthy at the time, and that it was sent to Beirut by its owner to take on an additional cargo of heavy equipment because of financial difficulties.

However, the crew could not load the equipment safely, and when the ship's owner failed to pay the port fees, the Lebanese authorities impounded it, he said.

They stuck their beak in, impounded it, and then left it there for years due to incompetence.

RT has a more detailled account of events: The cargo that blew up Beirut: Sailor REVEALS troubled history of doomed ship that brought TONS of explosive fertilizer to Lebanon

Owned by a dodgy geezer:

Its recent history began in 2012 when it was bought by Teto Shipping - a company registered in the Marshall Islands and owned by a Cyprus-based, Russian-born businessman, Igor Grechushkin - just about a year before it was seized by the Lebanese port authorities. The company itself was formed that same year and Rhosus appears to have been its only vessel.

Lots of dodgy geezers claim 'residence' in Cyprus. 

Doesn't this sound familiar?

According to Russian media, the highly explosive material that caused the devastating blast in Beirut came from a ship owned by a Russian businessman, Igor Grechushkin, who was described in reports as a Limassol-based resident in the Republic of Cyprus.

Grechushkin, who does not have Cypriot citizenship according to the Republic's interior ministry, was also identified as the manager of Teto Shipping, a bankrupt company with a Marshall Islands registration.

[BillyB]

 
Hiring a shady businessman who's company is near bankrupt using a boat that can barely float and who's crew isn't getting paid to deliver very dangerous cargo which ends up getting stored in a heavily populated city run by corrupt, incompetent politicians next to a warehouse storing fireworks that needs the door repaired by way of welding, what can go wrong? There's so much stupid here that it's hard to believe it wasn't intentional. Maybe a desperate owner wanted to burn down his warehouse hoping to make an insurance claim on it.

[BillyB]

Director of Beira Port in Mozambique, António Libombo, has denied knowledge of the Russian vessel, according to local Portuguese news outlet Lusa. "Usually, before we receive a ship, we are notified. In this case, we never receive any notification of a ship coming to Beira port with those characteristics and cargo," Libombo reportedly told Lusa.

The Mozambican Ministry of Transport and Communications also reportedly told Lusa that they were not informed about the Russian vessel.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/beirut-how-judges-responded-to-warnings-about-ammonium-nitrate-stored-at-the-beirut-port/ar-BB17F01L?ocid=spartan-ntp-feeds

As of right now, there is nobody claiming they ordered and had a scheduled delivery of 2750 tons of ammonium nitrate. While sailing under another nation's flag, the Russian ship's documents saying they were to unload in Mozambique is not true.

[AvHdB]

This is the simple and obvious stuff.

That the vessel was owned by a Russian ship owner and sails under a so-called flag of convenience is not unusual. To think that Russia or Russian actors deliberately did this is the stuff for those who wish to live in the realm of conspiracies.

The crew being Russia or Ukraine is not significant. One of the better and larger Colleges for merchantmen/women is located in Odesa (Odessa). Graduates are highly respected for there tickets.

That the ship became shall we say stuck in Lebanon is because the local authorities were doing there job. The are laws to prevent unseaworthy vessels from setting sail.

Ammonium nitrate is very explosive if mishandled. Which is easy enough to do if one is careless. Used as an explosive it is deadly as we saw 25 years ago in Oklahoma City.