FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE

U.S. Calls for Probe Into Beirut Blast

A senior U.S. official called for a “thorough, transparent and credible” investigation in the August 4 blast and confirmed the FBI will arrive in Beirut this weekend.

The U.S. Under-Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale visited the site of a deadly blast in Beirut on Saturday, calling for a “thorough, transparent and credible” investigation into the August 4 explosion that killed 172 people and injured 6,000. Hale confirmed that agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation would be arriving in Beirut over the weekend to help sift through the rubble to help determine “what led to the circumstances of this explosion.” The Lebanese government has resigned over allegations of corruption after it was revealed that the 2,750 metric tons of ammonium nitrate that exploded had been a source of concern by port authorities for years. The government has also suggested that a missile might have detonated the explosive material, though investigators on the ground have said a fire in an adjacent fireworks factory was likely the cause.