Explosives capable of 'blowing up entire neighborhood': Nassar wants to refer case to Court of Justice

BEIRUT — The hundreds of kilos of explosives intercepted on Oct. 5 in Dahr al-Baidar were being transported from the Bekaa "toward the southern suburbs of Beirut," Justice Minister Adel Nassar revealed Monday in an interview with MTV. Stating that these materials are capable of "blowing up an entire neighborhood," he requested that the case be referred to the Court of Justice and assured that no one would obstruct the investigation.

"No one will interfere with justice and no one will be able to delay the investigation into the explosives case involving Hezbollah," Nassar said.

According to the minister, "the mere act of storing such materials in a populated area constitutes a crime and justifies prosecution." During Monday's ministerial meeting, he called for the case to be referred to the Court of Justice and for investigations to continue in order to identify the origin of the explosives as well as the party that was supposed to receive them.

The Court of Justice is a special criminal court competent to judge crimes affecting the internal and external security of the state, as well as certain crimes against public safety. Its decisions cannot be appealed.

This case arises amid tensions over Hezbollah's arsenal, which the Lebanese state has committed to disarm. In addition, experts have recognized types of explosives used in past assassinations, such as that of former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri in 2005, rekindling fears of a return to political assassinations. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam had assured there would be "neither leniency nor laxity" in addressing this case, promising to identify the perpetrators of the operation and their sponsors. Responding to accusations against his party, Hezbollah MP Ibrahim Moussawi rejected any involvement in preparing attacks and defended the "resistance's" right to self-defense as long as Israeli aggression persists.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese Army announced Monday the seizure of about 200 kilos of explosives in the Qasr-Hermel area, on the border with Syria. According to the military statement, the explosives, packed in bags and transported by mule, were intended to be smuggled in from Syrian territory. A security source cited by L'Orient-Le Jour specified that this seizure was not related to the one in Dahr al-Baidar.

Des explosifs capables de « faire exploser un quartier entier » : Nassar veut porter l’affaire devant la Cour de justice