Beirut Explosion

[Stuart Galbraith]

 

 

If it was just sitting there it could have sat for another 100 years. But storing other flammable stuff next to it...

I have visited largest local fertilizer factory during my university classes, their huge AN storage was a large concrete pit with 2+m high 45deg angle blast curtains outside. It was enclosed in the light anti-weather construction. Outside of it there was 5+m wide water filled anti-fire ditch. Even in the case of detonation fact that AN was stored below a local ground level and with blast curtains would have meant that majority of the blast would have been directed upward. But that was a propper storage, it looks this one was temporary and everyone forgot about it until it went kaboom.

It wasn't forgotten, harbour officials made a number of requests to sell or get rid of the stuff which they thought was dangerous. But higher-ups in the bureaucracy weren't interested, because it would have required some effort and probably would have costed money.

 

 

The Port Beirut is run by Maronite Christians, the same way the airport is run by Hezbollah. I have a friend who theorizes that the reason the explosives were never removed is that the Aoun crowd was saving it for a rainy carbomb season.

 

The thought occurred to me too.

[Mistral]

 

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/08/05/Watch-Closest-footage-yet-of-Beirut-blasts-from-apartment-balcony-opposite-port.html

Imad should have come inside. I hope they survived.

 

 

It seems they did, even though the were injured.

 

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/08/06/world/beirut-explosion-survivors-trnd/index.html

[Josh]

 

 

 

If it was just sitting there it could have sat for another 100 years. But storing other flammable stuff next to it...

I have visited largest local fertilizer factory during my university classes, their huge AN storage was a large concrete pit with 2+m high 45deg angle blast curtains outside. It was enclosed in the light anti-weather construction. Outside of it there was 5+m wide water filled anti-fire ditch. Even in the case of detonation fact that AN was stored below a local ground level and with blast curtains would have meant that majority of the blast would have been directed upward. But that was a propper storage, it looks this one was temporary and everyone forgot about it until it went kaboom.

It wasn't forgotten, harbour officials made a number of requests to sell or get rid of the stuff which they thought was dangerous. But higher-ups in the bureaucracy weren't interested, because it would have required some effort and probably would have costed money.

 

 

The Port Beirut is run by Maronite Christians, the same way the airport is run by Hezbollah. I have a friend who theorizes that the reason the explosives were never removed is that the Aoun crowd was saving it for a rainy carbomb season.

 

Aoun is allied with Hezbollah.They have been in an alliance for more than a decade.

 

 

...and your point is? That Hezbollah would never allow their Christian allies to store explosives in a civilian site for moral reasons?

[Yama]

Hezbollah is not really that big on car bombs, especially on Lebanon itself. Also, how much stuff you need for bombs anyway? Few tons would be sufficient for most purposes. You don't need to stash away kilotons of the stuff.

[Ivanhoe]

Hezbollah is not really that big on car bombs, especially on Lebanon itself. Also, how much stuff you need for bombs anyway? Few tons would be sufficient for most purposes. You don't need to stash away kilotons of the stuff.

 

However, when you are in the Middle East Geopolitics game, you could buy all sorts of favors from regional louts, with some ANFO and instructions on use.

[Josh]

Hezbollah is not really that big on car bombs, especially on Lebanon itself. Also, how much stuff you need for bombs anyway? Few tons would be sufficient for most purposes. You don't need to stash away kilotons of the stuff.

 

Never the less, if you happened to trip over 2kt of bomb material I you might want to keep it, and I doubt Hezbollah was going to do much to stop an ally from doing it if they were so inclined. It's just a theory though; it also could be pure bureaucratic inertia.

[R011]

No matter who controlled it, they should have taken greater care to store it safely, even if that meant taking it out of the city.

[WRW]

just a thought - within the last year or so there have been two substantial finds of AN - UK and Germany IIRC, Where was this AN acquired - bough locally to where found or transported in from ?

[Stuart Galbraith]

UK has, or supposedly had, additive to stop it being used as explosive. Don't suppose they check imports though.

[bojan]

Additives can be relatively easily removed.

[lucklucky]

 

 

 

 

If it was just sitting there it could have sat for another 100 years. But storing other flammable stuff next to it...

I have visited largest local fertilizer factory during my university classes, their huge AN storage was a large concrete pit with 2+m high 45deg angle blast curtains outside. It was enclosed in the light anti-weather construction. Outside of it there was 5+m wide water filled anti-fire ditch. Even in the case of detonation fact that AN was stored below a local ground level and with blast curtains would have meant that majority of the blast would have been directed upward. But that was a propper storage, it looks this one was temporary and everyone forgot about it until it went kaboom.

It wasn't forgotten, harbour officials made a number of requests to sell or get rid of the stuff which they thought was dangerous. But higher-ups in the bureaucracy weren't interested, because it would have required some effort and probably would have costed money.

 

 

The Port Beirut is run by Maronite Christians, the same way the airport is run by Hezbollah. I have a friend who theorizes that the reason the explosives were never removed is that the Aoun crowd was saving it for a rainy carbomb season.

 

Aoun is allied with Hezbollah.They have been in an alliance for more than a decade.

 

 

...and your point is? That Hezbollah would never allow their Christian allies to store explosives in a civilian site for moral reasons?

 

 

Strange that seem to me your point. Since you did not pointed they were allies.

Edited August 7, 2020 by lucklucky

[lucklucky]

Hezbollah is not really that big on car bombs, especially on Lebanon itself. Also, how much stuff you need for bombs anyway? Few tons would be sufficient for most purposes. You don't need to stash away kilotons of the stuff.

Maybe trucks instead of cars? Rafik Hariri for example was probably done by them. Btw it seems UN stopped the results of investigation from being published.

Edited August 7, 2020 by lucklucky

[WRW]

How problematic would it be for non farmers to but AN by the hundred kilo. oh by the way can you deliver to xyz in London.

 

How come Aoun is in cahoots with Hezbollah

[Josh]

 

 

 

 

 

If it was just sitting there it could have sat for another 100 years. But storing other flammable stuff next to it...

I have visited largest local fertilizer factory during my university classes, their huge AN storage was a large concrete pit with 2+m high 45deg angle blast curtains outside. It was enclosed in the light anti-weather construction. Outside of it there was 5+m wide water filled anti-fire ditch. Even in the case of detonation fact that AN was stored below a local ground level and with blast curtains would have meant that majority of the blast would have been directed upward. But that was a propper storage, it looks this one was temporary and everyone forgot about it until it went kaboom.

It wasn't forgotten, harbour officials made a number of requests to sell or get rid of the stuff which they thought was dangerous. But higher-ups in the bureaucracy weren't interested, because it would have required some effort and probably would have costed money.

 

 

The Port Beirut is run by Maronite Christians, the same way the airport is run by Hezbollah. I have a friend who theorizes that the reason the explosives were never removed is that the Aoun crowd was saving it for a rainy carbomb season.

 

Aoun is allied with Hezbollah.They have been in an alliance for more than a decade.

 

 

...and your point is? That Hezbollah would never allow their Christian allies to store explosives in a civilian site for moral reasons?

 

 

Strange that seem to me your point. Since you did not pointed they were allies.

 

 

They are allies for the moment, certainly. I doubt the Christians had a lot of love for the Shia in the civil war and vice versa.

[Josh]

How problematic would it be for non farmers to but AN by the hundred kilo. oh by the way can you deliver to xyz in London.

 

How come Aoun is in cahoots with Hezbollah

 

The Mideast is always going to Mideast. If you aren't the biggest sect on the block, you have to pick a side. There are plenty of far weirder bedfellows in Syria.

Edited August 7, 2020 by Josh

[Jeff]

The enemy of my enemy of my enemy of my enemy is my friend until one of us stabs the other in the back and we'll remember the blood feud for ever unless you're of use to me right at the moment, or something.

[Adam Peter]

Another wedding gone wrong

[Adam Peter]

Wife of the Dutch ambassador reportedly dead.

 

Voice of America in Hungary 2 began to use the word "regime" instead of Lebanese government.

[lucklucky]

How problematic would it be for non farmers to but AN by the hundred kilo. oh by the way can you deliver to xyz in London.

 

How come Aoun is in cahoots with Hezbollah

Hezbollah have the guns, the will to use them and support of Western Intelligentsia because they are against Israel. Aoun is weak.

[lucklucky]

Beirut would be ‘erased’ had full chemical load exploded, bulk likely stolen: Expert

 

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/08/09/Beirut-would-be-erased-had-full-chemical-load-exploded-bulk-likely-stolen-Expert.html

[Ivanhoe]

 

Hezbollah is not really that big on car bombs, especially on Lebanon itself. Also, how much stuff you need for bombs anyway? Few tons would be sufficient for most purposes. You don't need to stash away kilotons of the stuff.

 

Never the less, if you happened to trip over 2kt of bomb material I you might want to keep it, and I doubt Hezbollah was going to do much to stop an ally from doing it if they were so inclined. It's just a theory though; it also could be pure bureaucratic inertia.

 

 

Don't rule out greed.

[bojan]

Beirut would be ‘erased’ had full chemical load exploded, bulk likely stolen: Expert

 

https://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2020/08/09/Beirut-would-be-erased-had-full-chemical-load-exploded-bulk-likely-stolen-Expert.html

 

Expert forgets that efficiency of the unconfined explosion of AN is ~50% or less. Hence red cloud and lower efficiency than theoretical.

Edited August 9, 2020 by bojan

[lucklucky]

Yes, possibly. Most energy went up.

[bojan]

Not only that, but we see all sort of partial decomposition products in the blast cloud.

[Detonable]

Presumably it was just AN without fuel oil or aluminum to burn?