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Japanese expert: Beirut explosion could signal trouble for Ghosn

Ghosn’s home, situated a couple of kilometers from the port in an upscale neighborhood, was reportedly damaged in the explosion. (AFP)
Ghosn’s home, situated a couple of kilometers from the port in an upscale neighborhood, was reportedly damaged in the explosion. (AFP)
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06 Aug 2020 05:08:32 GMT9
06 Aug 2020 05:08:32 GMT9

Arab News Japan

TOKYO: The massive port explosion that shook Lebanon’s capital of Beirut on Tuesday may mean that the city will no longer be a safe haven for former Nissan executive Carlos Ghosn, according to the President of the Center for Contemporary Islamic Studies Ritsu Miyata.

In an article published in the Daily Gendai, Miyata wrote that Lebanon is increasingly in a state of disorder and that the explosion can be taken as a symbol of the country’s political, economic and social turmoil. Lebanon’s delicately balanced sectarian society could potentially collapse under the chaos of the last year, during which inflation has reportedly reduced purchasing power by 85 percent.

Many in the country blame their hardships on the corruption of the political and economic elite, like Ghosn, and the coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated problems. According to Miyata, food and apartment rents have increased by 169 percent in the last year and half of citizens say they are not eating enough.

Under conditions he says are reminiscent of those leading up to the Iranian Revolution, Miyata predicts large-scale political changes and religious fracturing in Lebanon, where a mosaic of denominations coexist. The country has had its share of conflict in the past including a civil war that ended 30 years ago. 

Beirut’s port blast has only added to the dilemma, the article says. The explosion was caused by the unsafe storage of explosive materials and has killed at least 135 people and injured thousands more.

Ghosn’s home, situated a couple of kilometers from the port in an upscale neighborhood, was reportedly damaged in the explosion. But if his relationship with Lebanon is also damaged, he may have nowhere else to escape and could be sent back to Japan, where he is to stand trial for financial misconduct among other accusations, the Japanese analyst predicts.

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