Conservative Casual Friday--Alberto M. Fernandez Discusses Lebanon's Nightmare

An August 4 explosion in warehouses in the port of Beirut, Lebanon, had an estimated force of 1,100 tons of TNT, equivalent to a 3.3-magnitude earthquake.  The devastating blast killed at least 160, injured thousands more, and left 300,000 homeless.  This is merely one more disaster for a country struggling admist the COVID-19 pandemic as the Lebanese currency has lost 90 percent of its value and Lebanese face widespread food insecurity.  Violent protests have broken out in Beirut, to which the police have responded with teargas.  The government under Prime Minister Hassan Diab has resigned.

What caused the explosion?  What is the way forward for Lebanon out of this crisis situation?  What is the role in all of these matters of Hezbollah, the Shiite terrorist organization backed by Iran that is Lebanon's dominant power broker?  To answer these and other questions show host Andrew E. Harrod will join American diplmoat Alberto M. Fernandez, currently vice president of the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), who draws upon years of expertise in the Middle East.