Last week’s deadly explosion in Beirut intensified scrutiny of Hezbollah’s role
in Lebanon’s state security, the armed forces, financial resources, an


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Beirut Explosion Increases Scrutiny Of Lebanese Political Class, Role Of
Hezbollah

(New York, N.Y.) – Last week’s deadly explosion in Beirut intensified scrutiny
of Hezbollah’s role in Lebanon’s state security, the armed forces, financial
resources, and political landscape. Since the explosion, several port officials
have been placed under house arrest after investigatorssuggested
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in the storage of explosive fertilizer chemical ammonium nitrate.

 

While the investigation is ongoing, Hezbollah’s “unofficial” control
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activities in the Port of Beirut has made the Iranian-sponsored terror group
culpable, as they are known to use the port for illegal drug smuggling
operations and other criminal activities. According to Lebanese intelligence
sources, Hezbollah-controlled buildings in the port housed weapons and
fireworks, and the explosions were reportedly sparked by a fire at one of the
Hezbollah warehouses.

 

Hezbollah has also reportedly been caught storing ammonium nitrate in the
United Kingdom
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,Cyprus
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, andGermany
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. The terror organization also reportedly sought to use Lebanon’s agricultural
ministry to import ammonium nitrate from Syria.

 

Following anti-government protests in Beirut, Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan
Diab dissolved the government on August 10 after attributing the explosion to
widespread corruption. The explosion has inflamed calls for overhauling
Lebanon’s corrupt political system, as Lebanese security officialsreportedly
warned
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Lebanon’s leadership in July of security risks associated with storing 2,750
tons of ammonium nitrate at a port in the capital city.

 

To read CEP’s Hezbollah resource, please click here
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To read CEP’s Lebanon resource, please click here
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