[deanhills]

So looks like the Lebanese Government has finally approached external sources for being included in a Lebanon led investigation on the cause of the explosion. The press release mentions the French Government and the FBI. Lebanese officials agreed on Thursday on naming a judicial investigator to lead the probe under the auspices of the Supreme Judicial Council. The announcement to the press refers to the US and France, but looks as though other international specialists will be included as well - as yet still unnamed:
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/08/o...15616.html

Do you think this would be an unbiased investigation? Already Hezbollah is doubting the credibility as we would well expect they would do, given Hezbollah are branded a terrorist organization by the US. Guess this is going to be a challenging investigation. Not sure either why the FBI would have been approached?

[OldMeister]

i really do not understand why the FBI would join. it can be because of PR or they want to show the world that america does care about everyone...

[deanhills]

i really do not understand why the FBI would join. it can be because of PR  or they want to show the world that america does care about everyone...

I'm completely perplexed that the FBI would be involved, other than that Trump could have added this as a condition of the urgent assistance the US was providing to Lebanon. Like the investigation should at least give the idea of being unbiased and objective. Instead the US would be able to decide on its own version of the truth if they wanted to. It just doesn't look right to me and I can't help being suspicious of the motives for including the FBI. At least the French seem to be taking an almost lead role in the investigation so they can keep checks on the FBI and the other way round.

I found a copy of this article that gives more information about the investigation team, however no real reason why the FBI has been included:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/iran-leban...-1.5686209

[ikk157]

I'm completely perplexed that the FBI would be involved, other than that Trump could have added this as a condition of the urgent assistance the US was providing to Lebanon.  Like the investigation should at least give the idea of being unbiased and objective.  Instead the US would be able to decide on its own version of the truth if they wanted to.  It just doesn't look right to me and I can't help being suspicious of the motives for including the FBI.  At least the French seem to be taking an almost lead role in the investigation so they can keep checks on the FBI and the other way round.

I found a copy of this article that gives more information about the investigation team, however no real reason why the FBI has been included:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/iran-leban...-1.5686209

In my opinion, the FBI getting involved in the investigation regarding this explosion is actually a good thing.

I’ve said earlier that any local investigation might not be truthful at all. That is because they’re going to fake it to hide the fact that it’s completely the government’s fault and the fact that it was outright caused by mismanagement on their end. So an investigation started by them will most likely be faked to make them look innocent when they’re clearly not.

However, if the FBI conducts the investigation, we might actually get the truth. That’s because the FBI is in nowhere related to the Lebanese government, so why would they cover it up? 

This is why external investigations are the best in this case... they are much more trustworthy and are honestly our best bet into getting the truth and nothing but the truth.

[deanhills]

However, if the FBI conducts the investigation, we might actually get the truth. That’s because the FBI is in nowhere related to the Lebanese government, so why would they cover it up? 

I'm all for qualified external agencies to get involved.  My criticism was more along of the lines of the FBI being too close to the US Government and Trump.  It would have been better to have a more global external agency or one that is less high profile US Government connected than the FBI is.  Thing is there is a very real conflict between Hezbollah and Iran and the US and a large number of citizens of Lebanon, so politics in getting a report that is satisfactory to all of the groups in the end would have to be considered. Everything to do with politics is very complicated especially in Lebanon. France sounds OK though - almost more neutral.  And at least France seems to have a very active role in the investigation and since it looks as though it's the Defence Department of France that is involved I can think they would be very well equipped to investigate the blast.

[tryp4vps]

Do you think this would be an unbiased investigation? Already Hezbollah is doubting the credibility as we would well expect they would do.......

Perhaps it is hard to have 100% unbiased investigation. The French and the U.S. investigators might be biased too, but it is still going to be much much better than local investigation solely by some Lebanese officials.

And because the whole world is now watching ..... so I do have some hopes this investigation with external sources will achieve something, at least.

[deanhills]

And because the whole world is now watching ..... so I do have some hopes this investigation with external sources will achieve something, at least.  

Hopefully it will. But like with the Kashoggi investigation at end of 2018 when Turkey, Russia and the US controlled what "dumb people" get to know about the Kashoggi investigation, I wonder whether all of the details will be revealed truthfully and transparently. The politicians as per usual will decide what gets reported and what gets omitted. No doubt trying to protect themselves from civil suits and claims - all in the interest of the safety and security of Lebanon and the Middle East.

Sorry dude, I'm highly skeptical. Yes, I'm sure the FBI and France will do a great investigation, but the politicians will decide in the end what is published in the final report for public consumption.

I remember when I was following every detail of the Kashoggi case (the guy who got chopped up by a Saudi assassination team in the Saudi Consulate General in Turkey), there were daily reports in the media, until Trump decided it was time to cover it up and all of a sudden only the Washington Post, which was where Kashoggi had been a contributing journalist at the time of his death, was the only news paper covering his assassination. Somehow the FBI and the US were also able to get the media to not provide info about Kashoggi's background and family in the US - in the name of safety and security no doubt. I can't help but feel something similar will probably happen with this investigation. Since there are so many political factions in Lebanon to please and Lebanon's political setup is way more complicated and has potentially explosive connections (wheels within wheels) with many other countries and parties in the Middle East who are in conflict with one another.

[tryp4vps]

...... I can't help but feel something similar will probably happen with this investigation. Since there are so many political factions in Lebanon to please and Lebanon's political setup is way more complicated and has potentially explosive connections (wheels within wheels) with many other countries and parties in the Middle East who are in conflict with one another.

But may I know why do you think Trump's administration will probably help Lebanon officials hide the truth this time?

I trust that you know Lebanon's political setup better than me. I just know Lebanon politic is really complicated but do not know exactly if there is any special political connection between Trump and the local officials.

[Khadeer143]

Yes those explosion seems like some one plan to bomb whole areas those blasts are really worse ,2020 year is really bad many people died by many reasons ,floods,corona,accidents,fire, rains,don't know what more natural disaster we may see in upcoming days some time I really think maybe this is end of humans like dinosaur left earth ...

[deanhills]

But may I know why do you think Trump's administration will probably help Lebanon officials hide the truth this time?  

I don't think I said anything about Trump's administration helping Lebanon officials to hide the truth. If this is how you interpreted it, apologies.  What I did say is that the role of the US through the FBI could lead to withholding information from the media, or present a version about certain aspects of the investigation that would end up with people like you and me and the public not getting a 100% version of the truth.  Like how it had happened with Kashoggi investigation.  Trump talks to the French Minister of Defence and with Lebanon officials  and they decide what would be in the interest of the safety of the public to be withheld or divulged.  With Kashoggi it was Trump with the Presidents of Turkey and Russia who decided what information would be released for public consumption in the end. And overnight all media lights went off - all of a sudden there was no longer any news about Kashoggi.

I trust that you know Lebanon's political setup better than me. I just know Lebanon politic is really complicated but do not know exactly  if there is any special political connection between Trump and the local officials.  

I know very little of the Lebanese political setup except that it's very explosive, complicated and corrupt.  If they were the ones to investigate it on their own, I'd have been really worried, but at least it looks like the French Government is involved through their Defence Department and also the FBI. I'm a bit cynical about the FBI - but at least the FBI would have great tools at its disposal for the actual investigation.