DISINFO: US responsible for Lebanon explosion
SUMMARY
Radar images emerging after the Beirut bombing show four American naval reconnaissance aircrafts near the Lebanese-Syrian coast conducting unusual reconnaissance activity, which, according to security experts, increases the possibility of America’s involvement in the recent bombings that shook the Lebanese capital, Beirut.
RESPONSE
This groundless conspiracy theory is a recurring pro-Kremlin narrative trying to portray the US and the West as a destabilizing force not only in the Middle East but also around the world. The baseless claim was repeated with no effort to challenge or counterbalance it. Powerful explosions occurred in the Beirut port area on the evening of 4 August, as a result of which at least 78 people were killed, about 4,000 were injured, the explosion caused serious damage to several adjacent neighborhoods. The preliminary cause of the powerful explosion is 2750 tons of ammonium nitrate, which was stored for about six years in a warehouse with confiscated goods.