Each day brings new revelations about the peculiar story of how 2750 tons of explosive-grade ammonium nitrate ended up in #Beirut in 2013. Most of these revelations have been uncovered by Lebanese reporters working at Al-Jadeed TV. Here’s a summary of their findings. (Thread) 1/

The narrative that first emerged from official sources (and widely repeated in the international press) goes something like this. A Russian-leased cargo ship, the Rhosus, was on its way to Mozambique with its payload of ammonium nitrate. 2/

The Rhosus made an "unscheduled" stop in Beirut to pick up some heavy machinery destined for Aqaba, Jordan. Why? The shipper (a Russian businessman named Igor Grechushkin) was allegedly short on funds and needed extra cash to pay the ship’s way through the Suez Canal. 3/

But the cargo was supposedly too heavy to load, and so the Rhosus's owner simply abandoned the ship and crew after a legal dispute over port fees. Months later, out of safety concerns, the port authorities unloaded the ammonium nitrate and stored it at the port. 4/

From 2014 until 2020, the ammonium nitrate languished in Hangar 12 while officials in the port, the customs department, the security agencies, and the judiciary engaged in a game of bureaucratic hot-potato over the payload’s destiny. 5/

In short, the dominant narrative has been one of bureaucratic incompetence, implicating everyone from lowly dock workers to the PM and President. It jibes with what we know about Lebanese corruption, state failure, etc. But is it the whole story? 6/

Over the past week, investigative reporters like @riadkobaissi, @radwanmortada, and @ferashatoum have been casting doubt on aspects of this narrative. Their reports are available on the @ALJADEEDNEWS YouTube channel. 7/. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4JCsTLFcHGk10qpiNMh0Ww

Their reports show that the reason for the impounding of the ship was not damage or unpaid port fees, but rather a pair of lawsuits brought against the owner by two international companies. These suits emerged within two days of the ship’s arrival. 8/

In 2014, several months after the ship’s seizure, its cargo of ammonium nitrate was off-loaded and stored in the port, in accordance with a request from the Ministry of Public Works & Transport (led at that time by Ghazi Zaiter, an Amal appointee). 9/

The remaining crew on board, who had been stranded at the port for months, were set free with the intercession of the Beirut law firm, Baroudi & Associates, the same firm that had arranged the impounding of the ship in 2013. /10

As it happens, the captain of the ship identified Mohammad Zaiter as the lawyer who helped arrange the crew's release. According to Al-Jadeed TV, Mr. Zaiter is the son of Ghazi Zaiter, the Minister of Public Works at the time. /11

According to Al-Jadeed TV, the Ministry of Public Works even has its fingerprints on the initial reason for the ship’s docking in Beirut, namely the heavy machinery that was headed for Jordan. 12/

A source told @ferashatoum that it was the Ministry of Public Works that was sending that equipment back to Jordan, the excuse that necessitated the Rhosus's docking in Beirut. Bear in mind that Ghazi al-Aridi (not Zaiter) was caretaker Minister of Public Works at the time. 13/

What does this all mean? The evidence suggests the possibility that the Rhosus’s cargo was never meant for Mozambique, but that someone had devised a way to smuggle it to Lebanon. /14

Explosives-grade ammonium nitrate is highly regulated, and UNSCR 1701 requires that it may not enter Lebanon without the authorization and stewardship of the Lebanese army, according to Achraf Safieddine, a lawyer interviewed on Al Jadeed. 15/

The scenario that seems to be emerging (but remains unconfirmed, let me stress) is one in which the ammonium nitrate was illicitly brought to Lebanon by some party, perhaps by using the Ministry of Public Works as a conduit. 16/

Who was this party? Did they mean to sell the cargo or to use it themselves? In either case, why did it sit in the hanger for 6 years? Did they manage to sell off part of it or smuggle some of it out of the port? All of these questions remain unanswered. 17/

Let me reiterate that all of these revelations are based on the findings of a group of reporters working at a particular TV station. The press, especially in Lebanon, is not exempt from scrutiny. But I’m willing to give them the benefit of the doubt for now. 18/