The discussion regarding the Indian submarine tasked with recovering the bodies of the victims from the death boat has shifted from the potential of retrieving the bodies and its hypotheses to the actual recovery of the boat itself and its associated theories. This comes at a time when the submarine, its operations, and the statements from its commander, Scott Waters, have turned into a lengthy debate within the Tripoli community, in particular, and the northern region in general.
After the commander stated that he "saw with his own eyes bodies inside the vessel and was optimistic about the possibility of retrieving it and the bodies," a recent statement attributed to him indicated that "the death boat is now buried under dirt and rocks, which could hinder recovery efforts," redirecting the discussion entirely. While everyone understands that recovering the sunken vessel presents significant difficulties and challenges, the latest statements contrast sharply with previous comments, potentially reverting the situation back to square one. This has led to the hope that had been ignited in the hearts of the victims' families about the possibility of recovering the boat beginning to fade, while they continue to cling to the hope of receiving better news.
Observers of this situation note that the images released by the army showing the boat days ago did not reveal any dirt covering it. Where did this dirt come from that supposedly buried the vessel? Many questions arise in this regard. Moreover, the submarine’s operations and the ongoing search efforts over the past week, despite their importance and the significance of the submarine’s deployment itself, have been shrouded in broad debate amid fears that it might declare the end of its operation without achieving any of the objectives for which it was brought. In this scenario, the submarine would become an additional problem in the case of the death boat rather than a means to find a solution that alleviates the families' suffering.
Everyone in Tripoli is asking and questioning about the submarine and its work, analyzing, proposing hypotheses, attacking, and defending. However, the real concern now is that Tripoli may become divided into two factions: one that sees the mere arrival of the submarine as an achievement that the state failed to deliver, even if it does not achieve the desired results, specifically retrieving the boat or the victims, and another that views the submarine as a further source of division and a new crisis added to the families' struggles.
The coming hours or days may bring many developments and surprises regarding this issue, but the decision to leave the boat at the bottom of the sea would not be considered a success for the submarine’s mission. The situation has now become contingent on what the coming hours will bring in terms of developments amid discussions about a potential opinion from Dar Al-Fatwa on the matter that may be issued.
