NO ONE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR BEIRUT BLAST: There is a standoff in Lebanon currently, between the judge investigating the horrific Beirut port blast of August 2020, and the politicians he is trying to probe. This is the latest in the never-ending saga of crises in Lebanon. Judge Tarek Bitar is being targeted by certain politicians, like those allied with Hezbollah. They claim the probe is riddled with political bias. Such is the condition of the Lebanese state that senior officials - from all parties - have simply ignored the demands of the investigative judge, and not showed up at all for questioning. Also, there is no sign the police have any inclination to enforce the arrest warrants. This is Lebanon, where no one has been convicted for any of the dozens of blasts and assassinations that have happened over the past few decades. Like in those cases, it appears no one is responsible for the Beirut blast of 2020. [COMMENT BY: Omar Shariff, International Editor]
AP