Lebanon's president says no one is protected in port probe

Lebanon’s president says there will be no political cover for anyone accused of a crime related to the massive explosion nearly a year ago at the Beirut port

BEIRUT -- Lebanon’s president said Wednesday there would be no political cover for anyone implicated in last year’s massive explosion at the Beirut port, speaking a day after protests erupted over the handling of the investigation. The blast on Aug. 4 was caused by the ignition of hundreds of tons of ammonium nitrate, a highly explosive fertilizer that had been stored for years there with the knowledge of top government officials. The explosion killed over 200 people, injured hundreds more and devastated nearby Beirut neighborhoods. It's still unclear what exactly caused the explosion, and an investigation by a state-appointed judge has been riddled by charges of political interference. The delays have frustrated the public, particularly amid reports that most of Lebanon's leadership, including the president, knew of the explosives at the port. The hours-long protests Tuesday outside the house of caretaker Interior Minister Mohamed Fehmi were sparked by his rejection of a request by the new lead investigator to remove immunity for one of the most senior security officials accused in the port case, general security chief Abbas Ibrahim, allowing him to be questioned. The protesters saw Fehmi's move as an obstruction of the probe.