Lebanon: The explosives truck case threatens state security... and must be referred to the Judicial Council

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Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raji confirmed today, Thursday, that the issue of the explosives truck goes beyond the security dimension to political dimensions that affect state security, calling on the Council of Ministers to refer it to the Judicial Council, which reflects the government’s seriousness in dealing with the file and reassures the Lebanese.

During the government discussion regarding the request to refer the case to the Judicial Council, Raji stressed that the incident “is not only a security incident, but is par excellence political, and threatens the security of the state,” considering that what is required is to take a clear political stance regarding it.

The Minister also pointed out the necessity of applying the law to everyone without exception, wondering what measures would have been taken if another association had transported explosives and publicly declared its ownership of them, considering that this would have led to its dissolution, the closure of its centers, and the arrest of its members.

Raji rejected what was raised about the impact of referring the case to the Judicial Council on the ongoing investigations, stressing that the referral would not hinder the course of the investigation.

This came after the ministers of the Lebanese Forces Party withdrew from the Lebanese Council of Ministers session, in protest against the failure to refer the issue of explosives seized in the Dahr al-Baydar and Qusayr regions to the Judicial Council.

The Council of Ministers held its session at the Republican Palace, headed by President Joseph Aoun, and in the presence of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and the ministers, to discuss an agenda that includes 21 items, the most prominent of which is the Ministry of Justice’s request to refer the explosives file to the Judicial Council.

Last week, security forces arrested two men suspected of belonging to Hezbollah in the Dahr al-Baydar area on the international road between Beirut and the Syrian border while they were transporting 500 kilograms of explosive materials.

The shipment included "250 kilograms of TNT (TNT) explosives, and 250 kilograms of C4 (C4) high explosive," according to what a Lebanese judicial source told AFP.

While Hezbollah acknowledged that the shipment of explosive materials belonged to it, it stressed that “its use was directed against Israel,” demanding the release of the detainees.