OT: Beirut Explosion

[TheMatador]

The Israelis in 2019 called the port of Beruit the 'Port of Hezbollah'.

The country’s essentially under the thumb of Hezbollah. Govt is weak.

I don’t think this is a Hezbollah weapons depot. I read that most of the damage is in an eastern suburb which is Christian.

 

[TheMatador]

To be fair, I've never met an epidemiologist that isn't suuuuuuuper into munitions too.

I think you mean endocrinologists, not epidemiologists. People get them and entymologists mixed up all the time. Endocrinologists I know love setting off explosives and bombs as sort of a hobby.

 

[TheMatador]

Smells like Israel

Burning Ships in Iran Add to String of Dozens of Explosions and Fires (Published 2020)

Iranian officials say that some of the explosions at factories and military facilities, and some forest fires, may have been sabotage but blamed weather and accidents for the others.

www.nytimes.com

Very doubtful. Lebanon is not Iran. No nuclear program for Israel to worry about.

israel has already offered humanitarian aid.

 

[Garnacho]

The country’s essentially under the thumb of Hezbollah. Govt is weak.

I don’t think this is a Hezbollah weapons depot. I read that most of the damage is in an eastern suburb which is Christian.

Yes, its the Armenian (Christian) district. And fwiw, to me this is negligence until there is some evidence of wrong doing.

That being said the only really beef with them (Lebanese Armenians) is from a Sunni Turkish group called Mardinli. They have been staging demonstrations this summer in Beirut calling for the Armenian genocide.

Turkey’s Ottomanist Ambitions Target Armenians in Lebanon - The Armenian Mirror-Spectator

While the population in Armenia is experiencing a crisis within a crisis, meaning political instability during the coronavirus pandemic, Armenians in Lebanon are facing a triple crisis: an economic meltdown […]

mirrorspectator.com

 

[TheMatador]

You already know this, but at one time Lebanon was called the Paris of the Middle East.

Went to school with some kids, brothers, named Maloof, which apparently is like Smith in Lebanon

Actually, I think the Arabic word for a “Smith” (e.g., as in gunsmith, metal smith) is Haddad.

Remember guitarist G.E. Smith from the SNL band and earlier married to Gilda Radner? He was born George Edward Haddad.m

I read that some time ago about G.E. Smith.

 

[TheMatador]

I highly doubt it, but if it was I guarantee you they notified and/or got permission from the U.S. based on a perceived threat to Israel. Even in incidents where its publicly known when the IDF engages in retaliatory strikes the U.S and some other major powers are notified before hand.

When they took out the Iranian and Syrian reactors did the consult/notify the U.S.?

Not sure—I might have read it but don’t remember. In the case of Syria, they might have done it against wishes of Condoleeza Rice but can’t remember for sure.

 

[CFLCane]

Cool... here is a new age imperialist playbook. China lending money to developing countries and businesses that are sure to default. But I am sure you have no problems with them. With that, I am done.

Thats way off topic.

 

[TheMatador]

That seems like a lot more, any math experts on CIS? @CFLCane

Whose Amichai Stein? My Twitter is not up so I can’t read his bio.

Amichai sounds like an Israeli name.

 

[TheMatador]

He probably heard it from Dr. Birx, starting pitcher Fauci and the Admiral who is head of Public Health Service.

Trump always comes up with some doozies....and I kinda like him.

 

[TheMatador]

I would be.

Don’t be surprised if it comes out later this is an attack by Israel.

 

[ThomasM]

Yes, its the Armenian (Christian) district. And fwiw, to me this is negligence until there is some evidence of wrong doing.

That being said the only really beef with them (Lebanese Armenians) is from a Sunni Turkish group called Mardinli. They have been staging demonstrations this summer in Beirut calling for the Armenian genocide.

Turkey’s Ottomanist Ambitions Target Armenians in Lebanon - The Armenian Mirror-Spectator

While the population in Armenia is experiencing a crisis within a crisis, meaning political instability during the coronavirus pandemic, Armenians in Lebanon are facing a triple crisis: an economic meltdown […]

mirrorspectator.com

Me thinks calling for genocide is a bit more than a beef... but I get your point.

 

[TheMatador]

I guess they never heard of the 1947 Port of Texas City ammonium nitrate explosion on the French ship (2,300 tons). Nearly 600 killed - remains the deadliest industrial accident in U.S. history.

I have.

 

[Tad Footeball]

Lebanese government if you can call it that says fertilizer depot.

They'll eventually say it was a Home Depot. Gas grill propane tanks, bro. Rony Seikaly was dj'ing and smoking cigarettes too close.

 

[TheMatador]

I used those examples because weve been providing aid and troops to them for over 70 years now. Our occupation in the middle east isnt directed at specific countries its about terrorist networks that shift from country to country.

This could very well be just an unfortunate accident but you cant deny that its straight out of the israel playbook that spans decades. Its only reasonable to be mildly suspicious.

This is NOT out of the Israeli playbook. Not at all. Massive Ill-defines explosion with huge number of civilian casualties, no well-defined objective, militarily, psychologically or otherwise.

You believe it is, but I doubt you know much about Israeli strategic thinking, military doctrine, etc. I can’t see any benefit to an attack like this by Israel, anything that furthers their goals or security.

This is a webinar I watched last week by a foreign affairs correspondent for the Jerusalem Post and a retired Israel general discussing some of Israel’s current concerns and what they are focusing on right now. Obviously, they always have concerns with Hezbollah and the huge stockpiles of rockets it has amassed. It could be that the Israelis discovered an enormous stash of Hezbollah weapons and felt it had to be destroyed. I seriously doubt it, though. I don’t think Hezbollah would store so much in one place. I think it was just some unfortunate accident.
This webinar, if you care to watch, might inform you of what is concerning Israeli leaders these days. I don’t see what Israel sees it could gain from such an attack.


https://emetonline.org/resource/capitol-hill-webinar-israels-northern-border-heats-up/

 

[OriginalCanesCanesCanes]

I used those examples because weve been providing aid and troops to them for over 70 years now. Our occupation in the middle east isnt directed at specific countries its about terrorist networks that shift from country to country.

This could very well be just an unfortunate accident but you cant deny that its straight out of the israel playbook that spans decades. Its only reasonable to be mildly suspicious.

Well we’ve uncovered a borderline anti-Semite.

 

[1LuvCane]

Well we’ve uncovered a borderline anti-Semite.

Then they set up arguments that they're not racists.

 

[Fluffhead]

Thats way off topic.

It's not at all. You sit there and talk about the Imperialist US from 70 years ago and how awful Israel is for giving aid. And then in the same breath have no issue with China using its loan program to essentially take over Africa and the developing world by acting like a Mafia payday loan shark. Or in other words, acting like an Imperialist nation in modern, present day times. I wonder what the difference is between China and the US or Israel to you.

And @Tetragrammaton Cane ... I see you too. Go do some research about where China is doing its predatory practices and you may sing a different tune from your uneducated downvote.

 

[Fluffhead]

Well we’ve uncovered an anti-Semite.

FTFY.

 

[Tetragrammaton Cane]

It's not at all. You sit there and talk about the Imperialist US from 70 years ago and how awful Israel is for giving aid. And then in the same breath have no issue with China using its loan program to essentially take over Africa and the developing world by acting like a Mafia payday loan shark. Or in other words, acting like an Imperialist nation in modern, present day times. I wonder what the difference is between China and the US or Israel to you.

And @Tetragrammaton Cane ... I see you too. Go do some research about where China is doing its predatory practices and you may sing a different tune from your uneducated downvote.

You do your own research and stop making dishonest posts.

 

[Fluffhead]

You do your own research and stop making dishonest posts.

And what exactly was dishonest? Here is a good, high level summary of what I was referencing, in case you are unfamiliar.

Debt-trap diplomacy - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org