Beirut Explosion

Labeling can be variegated by manufacture, for instance, Orica uses Nitropril™ and Dynonobel uses AN Prill The HD would stand for High Density, and there is also low-density (see here):
If ammonium nitrate is a fertilizer, why was it not proposed or maybe reported above, to sell the AN to an agricultural agency, or were they simply ignorant of that possibility, or was it too pure to risk? It would make sense to propose only the above if it was somehow mainly treated or intended for use in explosives. However, if it was ANFO, one should think that it would smell pretty bad or at least very different from pure fertilizers, which are just salts. To complete the story about ammonium nitrate, here are a few details about its qualities:

Seems to me (as stored for six years) it would not be ANFO.

Concerning HD (High Density) vs. Low Density, it is the latter that is used by explosive manufacturers and mining, and the former for agriculture. There is a pretty good discussion of it here from both the agriculture and explosive side:

Ammonium nitrate was the first solid nitrogen (N) fertilizer produced on a large scale, but its popularity has declined in recent years. It’s been a common N source because it contains both nitrate and ammonium, and it has a relatively high nutrient content.

Production

Large-scale production of ammonium nitrate began in the 1940s when it was used for munitions during wartime. After the end of World War II, ammonium nitrate became available as a commercial fertilizer. The production of ammonium nitrate is relatively simple: Ammonia gas is reacted with nitric acid to form a concentrated solution and considerable heat.
Prilled fertilizer forms when a drop of concentrated ammonium nitrate solution (95 percent to 99 percent) falls from a tower and solidifies. Low-density prills are more porous than high-density prills and are preferred for industrial use, while high-density prills are used as fertilizer. Manufacturers produce granular ammonium nitrate by repeatedly spraying the concentrated solution onto small granules in a rotating drum.
Since ammonium nitrate is hygroscopic and therefore readily attracts moisture from air, it’s commonly stored in air-conditioned warehouses or in sealed bags. Manufacturers typically coat the solid fertilizer with an anti-caking compound to prevent sticking and clumping.
Small quantities of carbonate minerals are sometimes added prior to solidifying, which eliminates ammonium nitrate’s explosive properties. These additives lower the N concentration and are sparingly soluble, making the modified product less suitable for application through an irrigation system (fertigation).
Agricultural use
Chemical Formula: Composition: Water solubility

Ammonium nitrate is a popular fertilizer since it provides half of the N in the nitrate form and half in the ammonium form. The nitrate form moves readily with soil water to the roots, where it’s immediately available for plant uptake. The ammonium fraction is taken up by roots or gradually converted to nitrate by soil microorganisms. Many vegetable growers prefer an immediately available nitrate source of plant nutrition and use ammonium nitrate. Animal farmers like it for pasture and hay fertilization since it’s less susceptible to volatilization losses than urea-based fertilizers when left on the soil surface.
Ammonium nitrate is commonly mixed with other fertilizers, but these mixtures can’t be stored for long periods because of a tendency to absorb moisture from the air. The very high solubility of ammonium nitrate makes it well suited for making solutions for fertigation or foliar sprays.

Management practices

Easy handling and high nutrient content make ammonium nitrate a popular N fertilizer It’s also very soluble in the soil, and the nitrate portion can move beyond the root zone under wet conditions. Nitrate can also be converted to nitrous oxide gas in very wet conditions through the process of denitrification. The ammonium portion isn’t subject to considerable loss until it’s oxidized to nitrate.
Concerns over illegal use of this fertilizer for explosives have caused strict government regulation in many parts of the world. Restrictions on sales and transportation have caused some fertilizer dealers to discontinue handling this material.

Non-agricultural uses

A low-density form of prilled ammonium nitrate is widely used as an explosive in the mining industry and on construction sites. Manufacturers intentionally make it porous to allow rapid adsorption of fuel oil (termed “ANFO”).

Concerning "regulation in many parts of the world," this is so, you cannot buy it without being either a manufacture (for making products) or a farmer/agriculture (peeps used to be able to for gardening). Purchases leave a paper trail. The military is another matter.

If the warehouse contained a N Prill HD form of AN, than this would account for its long storage as it is coated. It would account for its end use more in line with agriculture, although it could be later mixed in the form of ANFO.

The other thing is that today, as a conglomerate, the explosive industry is pretty much owned and run out of Australia. There are other manufactures who buy from them for a specialized end use as licensed producers. Very controlled. There really is not much in the way of movement of explosive products (and AN) that happens without large oversight (again, military excluded).

As for ANFO, it is used in mining for the simple reason that it is cheap and has massive breaking power forces in rock. It still (when put in a hole) requires a booster, an emulsion explosive or other that is put under and sometimes over top (depends) of the ANFO, with an initiator (shock-tube and cap or cap alone if electrical tied to the booster and not the ANFO). Other blasting uses don't include ANFO for the reason that it is harder to control the blast resulting in unintended fracturing of geology and flyrock.

However, I was impressed by the similarity of the explosion that Meyssan says took place in Syria in January with the one we saw in Beirut. This is the video that Meyssan links to:


It's the same characteristic water-vapor/shockwave bubble.

Uncannily close, osit.
 
Ho ha ha ha ho ha ha ha. . . Laurentien, l know but but but we needn't stumble on about that suspicious light ray. Thinking I'll adhere to the expression, "once burned twice shy", knowing others will eventually explain our blind spot. Take care.
Perhaps if you watch the video clip, and pause it right when the "mushroom cloud" starts coming, at about 54 seconds, and you may see, as I did, that it is simply a beam of light refracting on the lens of the recording device.
I can clearly see the natural beam of refracted light, and angles down, and well in front of the explosion site, it doesn't terminate at the base of the silos. then, it jiggles and wavers with the device, then it's a jumble.
It is "a trick of the light" in my opinion....
 
Perhaps if you watch the video clip, and pause it right when the "mushroom cloud" starts coming, at about 54 seconds, and you may see, as I did, that it is simply a beam of light refracting on the lens of the recording device.
I can clearly see the natural beam of refracted light, and angles down, and well in front of the explosion site, it doesn't terminate at the base of the silos. then, it jiggles and wavers with the device, then it's a jumble.
It is "a trick of the light" in my opinion....

Yes, the fact that the light is shaking and oscillating along with the camera indicates that it is probably a reflection in it, in any case if it was intentional despite psychopathic self-confidence, I think they would try not to make large-scale visual errors, after all It would be a maneuver designed to make it seem that the situation was an accident, even more so if things went according to plan, in case it did, they are aware that everyone would record this and that a beam of light could be clearly seen or some missile flying at low speed or coming from an easily recordable angle would be inconceivable for the maneuver.
 
After following this thread so far, I have tried to summarize some of the possible causes and reasons for the explosion without a lot of details:
1) Corruption and negligence in high places played a role.
2) It is possible the whole amount of 2750 AN was not there, because some might have stolen from the bags over the years. This is actually likely considering the need for explosives in the region, the corruption in many places, and the need for money among those who "guarded" the port in a country low on money and with moderate salaries.
3) It is possible there was an element of accident. Even if there was a plan, not everything works out according to a plan, and this is the element of accident.
4) It is possible there was an element of sabotage, as there are many unexplained observations. The reason for an act of sabotage could be more than one.
5) It is possible that a recently developed weapon was employed, considering the vapor dome.
6) It is possible that the blast became somewhat bigger than was intended, if there was an element of sabotage.
7) If it was sabotage, it is possible, some knew about it (4 US planes flew near Beirut), but they did not share anything that we know of.
8) The parties that may benefit from the event are more than could conceivable have worked together to do an act of sabotage. If someone did it, they probably counted on the later acceptance by others in their group. Let's just say that the group would most likely be in the Western hemisphere.

And after the blast:
1) Some are helping with a view to gain. Various power groups are trying to make use of the situation, or if they are blamed for the event they hope to protect themselves or stay neutral.
2) Some are probably trying to genuinely help.
3) The ordinary people in Lebanon are suffering more.
4) What happens to the ordinary people in Beirut and Lebanon can irrespective of whether it was a pure accident and/or intentional sabotage, happen to many others, because there are people at the top, that don't really care. Even so, it may be helpful to step back, discover the element of distraction at work and look for the still bigger picture, because there are transformations taking place and on the way that are simply way, way bigger than this blast and the troubles being forced on the people.
 
Another thing we can add to the possible causes....

We hear of grain silo explosions from time to time. I don't know if its dust or gasses that cause them, but there was a load of wheat being off-loaded. Assuming it was bulk wheat - I don't think it would be packaged, but don't know at all... If it was like raw wheat in big piles, then the danger would be present with the gasses or dust when off-loading. So that could be a reason for the initial fire.
 
Joseph P. Farrell about the grain silo:
...Another factor that might play into the size of the explosion is the fact that there was a large grain elevator "conveniently" next to the warehouse allegedly storing the ammonia nitrate. As anyone knows, the dust in grain elevators can explode with great force, and the principle is very much like that in a fuel air bomb, with each particle of dust essentially being a mini-explosion, using the oxygen in the atmosphere just like a fuel-air bomb uses atmospheric oxygen as the oxidizer for the fuel of the explosion. Combined with an explosion of ammonia nitrate, this might account for the "look" of a fuel-air explosion from some points of view.
...
My point in reviewing all this here is why would anyone store tons of ammonia nitrate in a warehouse right next door to a grain elevator?
-> THE EXPLOSION IN BEIRUT
 
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There is this twitter post, which was linked from Moon of Alabama, to me it gives one of the clearest images of the event, before and after, it just looks like some fire in the Beirut port area, then it changes, the so called firework display. Then the rumbling and the massive blast, it would be interesting if anyone is able to interpret the language into English, to understand, what their impressions were. I only hope they survived the blast. It appears to me that the proximity, could be close to the port area, or they had a really good zoom in the camera. Just my thought.


The Moon of Alabama post. Nothing that has not already been mentioned in this thread, the date of August 5th post was the date after the event.

https://www.moonofalabama.ohttps://twitter.com/ragipsoylu/status/1291008814108606466rg/2020/08/beirut-blast-wrap-up.html
 
Seems to me with my recollection, there was the vapor mushroom cloud that is not present, or has been eliminated or doctored from the original Twitter Post above. Could be my faulty perception after seeing so many images. So again apologies if this is just noise, Reminds me of the JFK assassination, news changes, and in this day and age with digital technology, news and images can be changed in the twinkling of the eye, to change perceptions and ideas.
 
Seems to me with my recollection, there was the vapor mushroom cloud that is not present, or has been eliminated or doctored from the original Twitter Post above. Could be my faulty perception after seeing so many images. So again apologies if this is just noise, Reminds me of the JFK assassination, news changes, and in this day and age with digital technology, news and images can be changed in the twinkling of the eye, to change perceptions and ideas.

This vapor cloud? You can catch it just before they move the camera at 1:57.

Vapor Cloud.jpg
 
So, I'm looking at pictures of the port, all the damage, ect. And I see all these cranes. And I think: OK, construction is always going on, lots of cranes. Maybe some are shipments, going in and out of port. But I see no large cranes - the type you see at ports. And I see no rails, maybe they're under ground.

Then you have the anger at the leadership. They want France to run the show.

So, the Lebanese are behind the curve when it comes to industry. And corporations come in and offer solutions. 'Buy a hundred cranes. I'm sure we can cut you a deal!' 'You don't need a large port infrastructure, our cranes are the best!'... And so, because they are behind the curve, business interests will exploit the politicians, wine and dine them, and sell them civilization packaged.

And so you see them unloading ships with these cranes? I could be wrong by just going on the pictures I've seen, but if that's how they do things, negligence seems a likely reason, and the protests acknowledge this lack of confidence. If they want to buy modern civilization, the people who sell the stuff will lead you into a dependency, and as inefficient as possible, and without regard to its overall usefulness. Their leaders are expected to buy everything, now they have to buy all those cranes over again. But if they learn their lesson, design things instead of buying from companies whose interests lie in themselves.
 
I found this video of the Tianjin explosion which was cause by AN, but the blasts are very different. Beirut's explosion doesn't look like an AN explosion, if the Tianjin explosion is how AN/ANFO explosion typically looks like.

 
An "external cause": the captain who transported the ammonium nitrate that went up in smoke to Beirut speaks out
Captain Boris Prokochev, whose ammonium nitrate-laden vessel Rhosus was seized in 2013 by Lebanese authorities, gave Russian media RBC more details on this cargo which recently exploded in the port of Beirut, causing numerous dead and injured and causing massive damage.

The captain of the ship Rhosus, which in 2013 carried the more than 2,700 tonnes of ammonium nitrate that exploded at the port of Beirut on August 4, 2020, Boris Prokochev, shared with Russian media RBC his version of this devastating incident.

In particular, it is certain that this chemical body could not have exploded on its own.

“There was an external cause. Maybe a spark, maybe an arson or an explosive device. There was a kind of external detonator, ”he said.
Asked if the substance could lose its chemical properties in the years passed after the seizure of the vessel by the Lebanese authorities, the sailor indicated that the cargo had been stored hermetically and that therefore neither air nor water was could enter the compartment.

“The ammonium nitrate was in two bags, one of which, sealed polyethylene, was placed inside another polypropylene bag or something like that, very dense like plastic. Air and water did not enter it. Each bag weighed a ton, there were 2,750 bags, "said the former captain.
The boarding of the vessel

According to media reports, the Rhosus was then transporting ammonium nitrate from the Georgian port of Batumi to Mozambique. On the way, the captain decided to enter the port of Beirut where the cargo was confiscated.

While many sailors were able to return home immediately after the vessel was boarded, the captain, chief engineer, third engineer and boatswain were only able to do so a year later.

Mr Prokochev said the bags containing the ammonium nitrate were unloaded after their departure.

An explosion, followed by a second, occurred on August 4 in a warehouse in the port of Beirut where the ammonium nitrate in question was stored. According to the latest figures, at least 158 people have been killed and 6,000 injured, several dozen still missing. Hundreds of thousands are now homeless as half of the city has been badly damaged.
 
One detail does not deceive: this weapon uses a nano quantity of enriched uranium, the radiation of which is measurable. One passenger in Rafiq Hariri's armoured car survived. Former minister Bassel Fleyhan was transported to a prestigious French military hospital for treatment. Doctors were astonished to find that he had come into contact with enriched uranium. No one has made any connection with the attack.
Technically, this weapon takes the form of a small missile a few tens of centimetres long. It must be fired from a drone. Indeed, several witnesses claimed to have heard an aircraft flying over the crime scene. That is why the investigators asked the United States and Israel, which have observation satellites in permanent position, to send them the pictures they have [...]

And I thought it was a low-quality video-frame compression error causing a visual artifact, when I saw the flash of a missile hitting the fireworks-smoking tame fire area, on one of the videos.. Jesus!

Regards the shiny, new Deep State Nano-Nuke.. WOW.. the C's mentioning "Couple rogue nukes might go off.."

RADIATION Levels Spike 10X in Mediterranean After Massive Beirut Blast
 

The Times of Israel
Israeli involvement in massive Beirut port blast ruled out by both sides

World donors demand change before money to rebuild Beirut

Trump calls for Lebanon to hold ‘transparent investigation’ into blast



August 9, 2020 Kristalina Georgieva
Statement by IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva on the International Conference on Support to Beirut and the Lebanese People

Washington, DC:
Ms. Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), made the following statement today at the end of the high-level “International Conference on Support to Beirut and the Lebanese People” after the August 4 explosion:

“I would like to thank French President Emmanuel Macron for bringing us together just days after the devastating explosion in Beirut and express heartfelt solidarity with the Lebanese people. It is a terrible tragedy, coming at a terrible time. Lebanon has been struggling with profound economic and social challenges, aggravated by a pandemic, but even more so by the shortage of political will to adopt and implement meaningful reforms the people of Lebanon have been calling for. This is the moment for Lebanese policymakers to unite and address the severe economic and social crisis. It is also a moment for the international community to stand by the country and its people – with urgent humanitarian assistance, and support for reforms to pull Lebanon from the brink of economic collapse.

“Over the last months we have been engaged intensely with the Lebanese authorities, as well as with civil society and the international community, on a reform package aimed at addressing the deepening crisis, strengthening governance and accountability, and restoring confidence in the economy. Unfortunately these discussions have yet to yield results.

“We are ready to redouble our efforts. But we need unity of purpose in Lebanon—we need all institutions to come together determined to carry out much needed reforms.

“First, to restore the solvency of public finances and the soundness of the financial system. Current and future generations of Lebanese must not be saddled with more debts than they can ever repay. This is why the IMF requires debt sustainability as a condition for lending. And the financial system must be solvent—those who benefitted from past excessive returns need to share the burden of bank recapitalization, to protect the life savings of the vast majority of ordinary Lebanese depositors.

“Second, to put in place temporary safeguards to avoid continued capital outflows that would further undermine the financial system while reforms are taking hold. This includes adopting legislation to formalize capital controls in the banking system and eliminate the current multiple exchange rate system to help protect Lebanon’s international reserves while reducing rent-seeking and corruption.

“Third, upfront steps to reduce the protracted losses in many state-owned enterprises. There must be more predictability, transparency, and accountability—with comprehensive audits of key institutions, including the central bank.

“Finally, an expanded social safety net has to be in place to protect the most vulnerable people. They must not be asked to bear the brunt of this crisis.

"Commitment to these reforms will unlock billions of dollars for the benefit of the Lebanese people. This is the moment for the country’s policymakers to act decisively. We stand ready to help.”
 
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