NewsSecurityWorld

Defence Department contradicts Trump Beirut blast theory

The US president, Donald Trump, suggested that the explosions in the Lebanese capital on 4 August were the result of a bomb attack

Officials with the US Defence Department have contradicted Donald Trump’s claims that a bomb attack caused Tuesday’s explosions in Beirut.

The explosions in the Lebanese capital claimed the lives of at least 135 people and left thousands of others injured.

A Lebanese government spokesman said the disaster happened after a spark from welders working near the Port of Beirut ignited approximately 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse at the port. It created an explosion of such force that it was heard two kilometres away.

Speaking about the incident at the White House, Trump conveyed his sympathies to the victims.

“Let me begin by sending America’s deepest sympathies to the people of Lebanon, where reports indicate that many, many people were killed, hundreds more were very badly wounded in a large explosion in Beirut,” the US president said.

“Our prayers go out to all the victims and their families. The United States is ready to assist Lebanon.”

The “bomb analysis”

While Lebanese officials attributed the explosion to the ammonium nitrate catching fire, Trump suggested it was a bomb attack.

He said his military chiefs had told him the explosion was probably an attack of some kind.

“I’ve met with some of our great generals and they just seem to feel that this was not some kind of manufacturing explosion type of an event.

“They seem to think it was an attack. It was a bomb of some kind,” he told reporters at the White House.

Others in the Western world were more reticent. The UK’s schools minister, Nick Gibb, said it was “premature to speculate” on the cause of the explosion.

Lebanon rejects second label

Trump’s bomb attack reading of the tragedy in the Lebanese capital has been contradicted by US defence officials.

Speaking to CNN on condition of anonymity, one official said that the department didn’t know what the president was talking about.

Another explained that if there were any indications that anyone in the region had pulled off something on the scale of Tuesday’s explosion, it would trigger automatic increases in force protection for US troops and assets in the region.

Lebanese officials have also raised concerns with US diplomats over the use of the word “attack” at this point.

The US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, said that the US government was looking forward to the outcome of Lebanon’s investigation into the cause of the explosion.

E A Alanore

* Asaase Radio 99.5 – tune in or log on to broadcasts online.
#asaaseradio
#TVOL

Source
CNN
Show More

Related Articles

Back to top button

Adblock Detected

ALLOW OUR ADS