“Truth Uncovered": Al Mayadeen's Exclusive Documentary on Beirut Port Blast

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More than a year after the Beirut Port Blast, the leading causes of the disaster are still unknown up to this very day. Many local and international media outlets broadcasted reports on the explosion and related events - whether before or after - but the question is: To what extent are the pieces of information true?

A lot of ambiguous and confusing accounts and testimonies arose in the past few months. In the meantime, the investigation into the blast went international, leading some Lebanese parties to question the integrity of the judicial process. Fears of politicizing the probe surfaced, turning this major humanitarian issue into an opportunity for skirmishes and settling political scores, which only deprives the families of the martyrs, the wounded, and those affected, as well as the Lebanese public opinion, of the opportunity of knowing what actually happened on the afternoon of August 4, 2020.

Therefore, unveiling the truth and disclosing it to the public is a dire necessity demanded not only by our media ethics but also by the moral obligation that should deter anyone from exploiting the blood of the victims in political circles, pushing ready-made agenda forward. 

This obligation was previously borne by no one other than Shiraz Hayek who produced a 3-episode documentary series titled "Hangar 12." The series shed light on the details and mysteries surrounding the Beirut Port Blast in high technicality and objectivity based on the accounts and testimonies of specialists. And today, once again, she is taking it upon herself to unveil reality as it is, pushing beyond all limits to dig deep into the matter to obtain the truth and nothing but the truth. Armed with exclusive documents, the long-awaited documentary - "Truth Uncovered: Beirut Port Blast," is finally here.  

An account backed by documents and correspondences

The documentary traces the route of the shipment comprising 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate coming from Batumi Port in Georgia, to the Port of Beirut, and investigates the reasons that prevented it from heading to its previously scheduled destination, i.e. Mozambique, and why it docked in Beirut for months without having its cargo offloaded.

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“Truth Uncovered: Beirut Port Blast” also discloses the correspondences between the source company and the importing one, as well as the attempts to clear the cargo and reload it. The documentary touches on the fate of the sailors, and it definitely does not stop at what happened before and during the explosion of the nitrates; it goes way beyond that. 

Shiraz Hayek says this documentary is here to relate the true reasons behind the explosion of Beirut Port, especially in light of the political exploitation of the issue by many sides and the exchanged accusations and allegations, not to mention the misinterpretations in the media.

The two-part documentary depicts the journey of the "ammonium nitrate ship that brought these hazardous materials to Hangar 12 in the Port of Beirut, all the way from its initial point of departure until its docking in the Lebanese capital."

The truth, backed with facts and documents

The “Truth Uncovered: Beirut Port Blast” provides answers to several questions: What is Savaro Ltd, and is it really a shell company as reported in the media? Who are the real owners of the ammonium nitrate shipment, and who imported it? Was its actual destination Beirut, or was did it arrive via transit? How was it dealt with in terms of administration and security?

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"This documentary will dispel doubt with certainty," says Hayek, who confirmed that her work aims to highlight the truth with evidence and clarify the details of the shipment and its route, away from media outlets that tell the story according to their editorial policies.

Hayek added that “Truth Uncovered: Beirut Port Blast" is evidence-based, targets public opinion and those interested in the issue. She also asserted that the information included in the documentary is there for the state, the judiciary, official authorities, the media, and the public to check and investigate.

She stressed that the documentary film "does not target anyone, but rather relates reality as it is, and arranges and organizes all the information related to the Beirut Port Blast to present it to the public, to be at the service of the people, the families of the victims, the wounded and anyone who is in pursuit of the truth."

New and evidence-backed information will be revealed. Moreover, new and exclusive scenes will be provided in the documentary, which Al Mayadeen will air on Monday and Tuesday, 22-23 November, at 9:00 pm, occupied al-Quds time.