They have identified four types of smoke plume. But they only reconstruct three types of material in the warehouse: fireworks, tires and ammonium nitrate. Aren't they missing something?
Beirut Port Explosion
131–140 of 226 posts
Re: Beirut Port Explosion
#132Here is a mirror to access the article that doesn't require executing javascript code. It is just a document. https://archive.is/BBe1X
Re: Beirut Port Explosion
#133Earlier quoted context omitted.
You'd probably be interested in the Bellingcat podcast about their investigation into MH17. https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/podcasts/2019/07/17/mh1...
Worth to keep in mind that Bellingcat is believed by many to be closely linked to MI6, so take their publications with a grain of salt.
Is there any evidence of that?
Re: Beirut Port Explosion
#134There is a youtube channel run by the US Chemical Safety Board that provides similar reconstruction videos of chemical safety incidents:
Re: Beirut Port Explosion
#135Earlier quoted context omitted.
Similarly we've gone from the CIA/FBI being "big brother" to social media companies filling the role.
Why the hyperbole? "Big Brother" can disappear you into the night, never to be seen again till someone unearths a mass grave many decades later. Social media has no such power.
stochastic terrorism would enters the chat
Re: Beirut Port Explosion
#136Earlier quoted context omitted.
Worth to keep in mind that Bellingcat is believed by many to be closely linked to MI6, so take their publications with a grain of salt.
Is there any evidence of that?
No direct evidence as you would expect. We only have circumstantial evidence such as selection of topics to cover and general view regarding covered events, which align quite well with position demonstrated by intelligence services. It also has some questionable funding sources (e.g. National Endowment for Democracy and Integrity Initiative), but I would say it also nothing more than circumstantial.
One recent analysis of Bellingcat behavior (not in general, but using a selected case) can be seen in this video (in Russian, but it has good English subtitles): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDhhCLyYCU4 Author of the video is a Ukrainian opposition leader, who fled the country during Yanukovich rule, got asylum in Europe, and since then lives there.
Re: Beirut Port Explosion
#137If you enjoy this, I'd recommend looking into the organisation Bellingcat. They do investigative journalism using social media/crowd sourcing/leaked database, and many similar forensic techniques. They've done great analysis on the MH17 missile attack for example, which is documented in their podcast: https://www.bellingcat.com/resources/podcasts/2019/07/17/mh1...
See this branch which discusses Bellingcat: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25150913 (BTW it's interesting that the same link got mentioned twice here in comments, even though relation to the OP is weak in my opinion)
Re: Beirut Port Explosion
#138From a laymen's perspective, it's hard to imagine just how negligent the port authorities could have been in managing the warehouse. 2750tons high-explosive Ammonium Nitrate? Check. 50tons Ammonium Phosphate? Check. Stacks of flammable wooden pallets among Ammonium Nitrate? Check. 1000 flammable rubber car tires? Check. 23tons of explosive fireworks? 5 rolls of detonator cord? Check. I mean... how/why?
> it's hard to imagine just how negligent the port authorities could have been in managing the warehouse.
I can totally imagine the same thing happening in an Indian port. Its mostly because of having a "dont worry, nothing will happen" attitude or even if someone from complained about the goods, getting the bureaucracy to do something is fast is almost impossible.
Re: Beirut Port Explosion
#139The point the video makes towards the end is a good one: just basic storage standards were not followed.
Forget for one moment that this makeshift bomb laid dormant for years and nothing was done despite constant warnings from officials.
Had port officials followed basic storage etiquette, like placing the AN in manageable clusters, separating those clusters from each other by a moderate distance, and not storing other combustible material like fireworks and tyres, the Beirut explosion could at least have been mitigated.
The video makes a point that probably 50% of the AN exploded -> 200 people died. I shudder to think what double that would have done.
Re: Beirut Port Explosion
#140Earlier quoted context omitted.
Is there any evidence of that?
No direct evidence as you would expect. We only have circumstantial evidence such as selection of topics to cover and general view regarding covered events, which align quite well with position demonstrated by intelligence services. It also has some questionable funding sources (e.g. National Endowment for Democracy and Integrity Initiative), but I would say it also nothing more than circumstantial. One recent analys…
Haven't watched the video, but is it from Shariy?
If yes, then you wildly misrepresented him.