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'Ammonium Nitrate' Shipment at Aden Port Creates Controversy

Bags containing ammonium nitrate fertilizer (Reuters)
Bags containing ammonium nitrate fertilizer (Reuters)
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'Ammonium Nitrate' Shipment at Aden Port Creates Controversy

Bags containing ammonium nitrate fertilizer (Reuters)
Bags containing ammonium nitrate fertilizer (Reuters)

Yemeni media reports sparked widespread controversy after claiming a shipment of ammonium nitrate was stored in Aden port three years ago, twice the amount stored at Beirut port that caused the massive explosion.

Aden port authorities denied the claims, however, Yemen’s Public Prosecutor, Ali al-Awash, ordered a quick probe into reports about tons of ammonium nitrate abandoned in the city’s seaport for several years.

Judicial sources stated that Awash directed Aden’s Chief of the Appeals and a member of the Supreme Judicial Council to investigate the case, given the risks posed to the safety of the port, the city, and its residents.

The sources stated that the Attorney General ordered one of the public prosecutors to go to the port and investigate the issue in accordance with the law.

Yemeni residents expressed their concerns after recent online reports about the shipment, fearing they’d face a fate similar to Beirut, where a shipment of ammonium nitrate exploded killing over 100 and injuring thousands.

Meanwhile, the Yemen Ports Authority denied the existence of any shipment containing ammonium nitrate in the ports, according to a statement carried by Saba News Agency.

The authority's media department described the allegations of 140 containers loaded with ammonium nitrate in the port as fake news and falsifications of facts.

Under rules and laws regulating Aden port's facilities, it is prohibited to handle or store any shipments of explosives, flammables, and radioactive materials, added the statement.

The statement admitted there are old cargoes in the container terminal, but they contain 46 percent organic urea which is used as agricultural fertilizers, and are not explosive nor radioactive materials.

It asserted that storing or transporting such materials is not illegal or banned, urging everybody to seek accuracy before publicizing information, and avoid spreading panic among civilians.

On Friday, Yemeni lawmakers demanded an immediate investigation into allegations of stranded containers of ammonium nitrate.

MP Ali Ashal sent a letter to the government requesting clarifications about the presence of 130 40-foot containers of ammonium nitrate abandoned in Aden seaport, and the reasons for importing them.

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Lebanon Ready for Syria Pact to Repatriate Non-Terror Convicts

Lebanon’s Justice Minister Adel Nassar (NNA)
Lebanon’s Justice Minister Adel Nassar (NNA)
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Lebanon Ready for Syria Pact to Repatriate Non-Terror Convicts

Lebanon’s Justice Minister Adel Nassar (NNA)
Lebanon’s Justice Minister Adel Nassar (NNA)

Lebanon’s Justice Minister Adel Nassar said Beirut had received no warnings from Damascus about potential retaliatory measures to push for the release of Syrian detainees held in Lebanese prisons, dismissing any talk of escalation as unnecessary.

“There’s no need for escalation. We’re fully open to resolving this issue through direct dialogue and a formal treaty with the Syrian authorities, one that allows the transfer of Syrian convicts, except those sentenced for killing Lebanese soldiers or for terrorism charges,” Nassar told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Nassar revealed that his ministry had already prepared a draft agreement aimed at moving the stalled file forward, stressing that resolving the issue is in Lebanon’s interest as much as Syria’s.

“This would ease the severe overcrowding in our prisons,” he said. “We’re determined to take every step in full compliance with Lebanese law and judicial procedures.”

According to Nassar, some 1,700 Syrians are currently detained in Lebanon, including 389 with final verdicts. The rest are still on trial.

“Their treatment is identical to that of Lebanese inmates,” he added. “We’re holding court sessions directly at Roumieh prison to address logistical constraints, and there’s also an intention to do the same for the military court.”

Addressing the recent Cabinet appointment of Maher Shaito as financial public prosecutor, a move widely seen as a win for the minister after rejecting a nominee backed by the Hezbollah-Amal alliance, Nassar insisted the process was purely institutional.

“This was a victory for state institutions. I can’t nominate someone I don’t believe is qualified,” he said. “After consulting senior judges and the head of the Higher Judicial Council, it was clear there was consensus around Shaito due to his credentials and track record.”

He stressed that the appointment involved “no deals or political bartering,” adding that while he found Judge Ziad Hamadeh unsuitable for that specific post, “I never said he was unfit for another position.”

Nassar described his meeting Saturday with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri as “positive,” saying Berri expressed support for the minister’s efforts under the principle of judicial independence.

On long-awaited judicial appointments, Nassar said the Judicial Council was working “around the clock” and had promised to complete the file by the end of the month. “Some 600 names are currently under consideration,” he noted.

As Lebanon approaches the fifth anniversary of the 2020 Beirut port explosion, Nassar said he would not interfere with the timeline of investigative judge Tarek Bitar, who is handling the politically sensitive case.

“Judge Bitar is continuing his probe, and I’m offering full cooperation within the limits of my authority, especially when it comes to securing information from abroad,” he said. “We won’t allow any obstruction of his work.”

Nassar said the timing of the indictment “depends on whether he receives the answers to all his questions,” adding: “There’s no legal deadline obliging him to issue a ruling by a specific date.”

Responding to reports that he and other ministers had objected to certain appointments during the last Cabinet session, Nassar confirmed his opposition to the newly named Banking Control Commission, saying ministers had not been briefed beforehand.

He also voiced strong objection to linking the disarmament of Hezbollah to any other file.

“I told Cabinet and President Joseph Aoun that the issue of arms must not be conditional. I believe in the exclusive right of the state to bear arms - there can be no functioning state otherwise,” he said.

Nassar added that Aoun had promised to refer any final document related to the ongoing US-mediated talks on the weapons issue back to the Cabinet for discussion.