New York Times investigation sheds more light on bribery, corruption at Beirut port that set stage for deadly blast

A new investigation by The New York Times has shed more light on the corruption in Beirut that set the stage for the fatal blast last month that killed nearly 200 people.

There have been numerous reports about how officials ignored warnings regarding the 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate stored in a port hangar for years. But the Times reveals that even the Russian businessman who chartered the ship that originally carried the explosive material in 2013 sent a cautionary email about the cargo, and a law firm seeking to repatriate the ship's crew to Russia and Ukraine flagged an ominous Wikipedia entry for the port's general manager.

But the "entrenched culture culture of corruption at the port," where Lebanon's competing political factions all have a stake proved too powerful to overcome. Multiple port employees, customs officials, and shipping agents told the Times that little moves into the port without bribes being paid to multiple parties, including customs inspectors, port security, and even the Ministry of Social Affairs, which Lebanon's politically connected class reportedly bribes to allow explicitly fraudulent claims. For example, a 3-month old child with Down Syndrome was granted a disability exemption so someone could import a luxury car tax free.

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In short, the blast was a symptom of a longstanding problem. Read more at The New York Times. Tim O'Donnell