ER Editor: Update – Thursday, August 6: In Beirut, Macron Pledges Aid as Crowd Calls for End to the ‘Regime’. Macron is on a sudden visit to Beirut and gets mobbed by people calling for an end to Lebanon’s corrupt regime. It’s his chance to be the saviour of the moment, promising French aid.***French energy company Total is one of three companies described in the article below as having a stake in the development of the Levant Basin’s Block 9, which appears to have a thin slice of its marine territory disputed between Israel and Lebanon (see map below). Three energy companies – Total, Italy’s ENI and Russia’s Novatek – are involved in the development of this block, approved by Lebanon but much to Israel’s anger. The Port of Beirut would be a plausible target, as GreatGameIndia outlines below..
Richard Silverstein of Tikun Olam is convinced of Israel’s guilt based on a highly-placed, Israeli intelligence source. See ‘BREAKING: Israel Bombed Beirut’ – Silverstein. Silverstein is, for the moment, a lone voice according to Gideon Levy. .Panamza, an alternative French news site (link), also notes how, just days before the explosion, Israel had threatened to blow up Lebanese infrastructure as payback for (future?) attacks by Hezbollah. See this from Israel Hayom site, In dramatic policy shift, Israel to hold Lebanon accountable for Hezbollah attack..We offer another theory for interest. Russian sources (sappers) via former UK intelligence operative Alex Thomson of UK Column (starting at around 50:00 minutes) say that, based on the type of explosion it is (red smoke), a certain type of munition was involved, specifically the ‘1-20 calibre of mortar munitions’ (light shell munitions) that were being stored there. The port area is controlled by the Sunni half of Lebanon, so there is nothing from Hezbollah to be found there. Turkey seems to be the culprit here. Why? The explosion occurred just after an ultimatum was delivered by Trump and Macron, to Turkey and Italy, to get out of the area. Turkey has likely been storing munitions there, to be used by the Serraj-led GNA government in Libya, which Turkey and Italy are supporting, munitions which would be sent on to Libya from the Port of Beirut by Erdogan. Hence, Erdogan is covering his tracks by getting rid of the munitions..
Is it Israel, Turkey, sheer carelessness in an otherwise mis-managed country or something else?
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Beirut Explosion & The Covert Oil War For Lebanon’s Block 9
GREATGAMEINDIA
The massive explosion that rocked Lebanon completely obliterated the Port of Beirut. Although officials did not say what caused the initial blaze that set off the blast, the Port of Beirut has been caught in a covert war brewing in Lebanon for sometime. Commentators on the Levant have long been warning that it could be a flashpoint for the next Lebanon war – that flashpoint is the disputed, resource-rich maritime territory known as Block 9.
Beirut Explosion & The Covert Oil War For Lebanon’s Block 9
On 4th August 2020, powerful explosions rocked Beirut, the capital of Lebanon. The explosion was linked to 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored in the warehouse since 2014. It was confiscated from an abandoned ship MV Rhosus belonging to a Cyprus-based Russian businessman Igor Grechushkin.
The explosive power of the blast added up to approximately 240 tons of TNT, according to one estimate shared online by a nuclear expert. By comparison, the yield of a MOAB, the largest conventional bomb, is ~11 tons TNT equivalent.
A security source stated it was caused during welding work on a hole in a warehouse. However, US President Donald Trump suggested that it was an attack caused by a bomb.
“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.”
Although, officials did not say what caused the initial blaze that set off the blast, the Port of Beirut has been caught in a covert war brewing in Lebanon for sometime. Commentators on the Levant have long been warning that it could be a flashpoint for the next Lebanon war – that flashpoint is the disputed, resource-rich maritime territory known as Block 9.
Block 9 – The Flashpoint for Lebanon War
In 2010, vast hydrocarbon reserves were discovered in the Levant Basin. It was the key for economic boom in the region, particularly, Lebanon, Israel and Cyprus. However, conflict over the right to exploit a gas field called Block 9 spiraled into a covert war between Lebanon and Israel. The matter was dragged to the United Nations whereby the US supported the Lebanon proposal.
In 2010, vast hydrocarbon reserves were discovered in the Levant Basin. It was the key for economic boom in the region, particularly, Lebanon, Israel and Cyprus.
Israel rejected the proposal and the dispute dragged on until 2017, when Lebanon floated the tender for hydrocarbon exploration, including opening the Block 9 for bidding. The move has irked Israel ever since, who vowed to the UN that it “will not allow any nonconsensual, unauthorized economic activity in its maritime areas,” and is “committed to pursuing available and relevant options to protect its sovereign rights.”
Attempt to sabotage Russian Gas Deal
In 2017, the Lebanese Oil Authority granted licenses in Block 9 to a consortium comprising the French company Total, the Italian ENI, and the Russian Novatek. Soon, an anti-Lebanon campaign sparked in the Middle East, aimed at “intimidating” and forcing it to give up the joint gas project with Russia.
Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil went to Moscow and stated the following to Russian journalists:
We are about to conclude the first in the history of our country agreement with Russia on shell gas exploration. And now we see an attempt to hinder this effort. Certain parties are trying to intimidate Lebanon.
We hope that Russia will continue building up its influence in the Middle East in order to form a balance of powers in the region.
Disputed Oil Block 9 between Lebanon and Israel
Some countries are trying to use certain forces to remove the head of Lebanon. The same forces that unleashed the war in Syria and those who are feeding into terrorists are now trying to damage Lebanon.
However, the cooperation continued with the Russians gaining a more stronger foothold in Lebanon. This called for a more aggressive approach from the Israelis.
Lebanese Civil War
During his visit with US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo (ER: in late March, 2019), Lebanese President Michel Aoun reportedly received a secret US-Israeli document detailing plans for creating a civil war in Lebanon with covert false flag operations and possible Israeli invasion.
Secret US-Israeli document detailing plans for creating a civil war in Lebanon
Although the source of the document was Israeli and created in partnership with Washington, no one knows who presented it to Aoun. The Lebanese TV station, Al-Jadeed, initially reported the document on Lebanese TV and a video on its website.
According to another document, although “full load of our firepower will be unleashed,” they somehow do not anticipate any casualties. They do, however, expect the civil war to “trigger requests” for intervention from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), which Israel must only agree to after extreme reluctance.
Secret US-Israeli document detailing plans for creating a civil war in Lebanon
The document says Israel will also play an important role by creating “covert false flag operations” as the conflict progresses. Perhaps these operations would include chemical attacks similar to the chemical attacks on civilians in Syria or even direct attacks on Lebanese or Israeli civilians to blame on Hezbollah and justify international intervention.
Meanwhile, huge protests erupted in Lebanon, and on October 29, 2019, the Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced his resignation, and that of his cabinet.
Israel claim rights to Block 9
After the Lebanese put out the tender for exploration of Block 9, Israel issued a stern warning to the companies involvedin the licenses. In an international security conference in Tel Aviv, the Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said:
“They [Lebanon] are announcing a tender on the gas field, including Block 9, which is ours by any definition. Respectable firms bidding on the tender are, to my mind, making a grave error – because this is contrary to all of the rules and all protocol in cases like this.”
Disputed Oil Block 9 between Lebanon and Israel
Meanwhile, work began full steam at the Levant Gas Field and the Port of Beirut became the main supply base for the entire operation.
Port of Beirut – Base for Oil Consortium
In April 2019, another tender was launched to select a service company to lease space and manage the supply base for the consortium of Total, ENI and Novatek, which planned to begin exploration the same year. Port of Beirut was to be turned into a supply base for the consortium said Walid Nasr, Chairman of the Lebanese Petroleum Administration (LPA).
“The base will host all preparations and support all offshore operations, from pipes and casings, to storage facilities,” Chbat said.
Lebanon’s Energy Minister Nada Boustani inspects Total’s oil and gas exploration equipment at Beirut port. Nov 2019. (Dalati & Nohra)
By November 2019, offshore oil and gas exploration equipment started arriving at the Port of Beirut. In June 2020, it was announced that a well site would be located in Block 9 in six weeks and complete drilling before the end of May 2021.
Wissam Chbat, board member at the Lebanese Petroleum Administration (LPA) and head of LPA’s Geology and Geophysics Unit, said that Total, the French oil company, is expected to specify the location of the well to be drilled by its subcontractors in Block 9 of Lebanon’s waters within six weeks.
“Total will keep in mind that it should complete its drilling of the well in Block 9 before the end of May 2021,” Chbat told Xinhua in an interview.
Port of Beirut obliterated in massive explosion
Just weeks later, the Port of Beirut is obliterated in a massive explosion, bringing the entire operations to a grinding halt. Within hours, the French President announced his visit to Lebanon the very next day.
“I will go to Beirut tomorrow to meet the Lebanese people to bring them the message of fraternity and solidarity of the French. We will take stock of the situation with the political authorities,” President Macron wrote on Twitter.
Russians on their part have offered assistance in investigating the explosion, lawmaker Oleg Morozov told Sputnik. “I think if we are asked to provide appropriate assistance in the investigation, then, of course, we will help,” Morozov said.
Intelligence experts on the Levant warzone GreatGameIndia spoke to are of the opinion that there would be a strong retaliation by the oil consortium nations (ER: France, Italy and Russia), in which the US Presidential Election would be a major factor. However, what theater they choose remains to be seen.
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