Syrian 'Nuclear Equipment' Keep Beirut Authorities Busy

Lebanese security and judicial agencies had been busy in the past days investigating a cargo for the Syrian regime, which was dubbed as “nuclear equipment” but turned out to be office material, al-Joumhouria newspaper reported on Wednesday.

The daily said that the apparatuses launched a probe when the manifest of several containers that reached Beirut Port said they included nuclear material.

Under the order of Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi, General Prosecutor Judge Samir Hammoud tasked the Internal Security Forces Intelligence Branch to inspect the containers, which turned out to contain office equipment for the Syrian government.

The Syrian authorities had sent the containers to Lebanon by land to ship them back via Beirut Port to Syria's northwestern province of Latakia, said the report.

Latakia is a stronghold of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

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