The country has entered a dark tunnel, with the prospects for resolution uncertain and providing no reassurance. The alarm bell is ringing, and the indicators are more negative than ever, warning of an impending social explosion that is unavoidable, amid fears that it may be accompanied by chaos and security breakdown. Such a scenario cannot be ruled out given the continuous rise in the exchange rate of the dollar, which has exceeded 54,000 and may reach 100,000 within a month. Who will deter this?
In the midst of this overall decline, for which the authorities are responsible, against the backdrop of differences, divisions, obstruction, vacancies, malice, stubbornness, and a continuing degradation of conscience, morality, humanity, and emotional well-being, one observer posits that everything occurring may signal a significant public movement akin to the October 17 uprising, but with a different face that may take on a violent nature, beginning with assaults on public and private properties without any clarity on where it will end. There is a real fear that we may have entered a phase that could lead to assassinations.
Moreover, the return of investigative judge Tarek Bitar regarding the port explosion case has surprised everyone and caused a degree of confusion as he decided to return to the file based on a legally justified interpretation of legal articles. This has led to a constitutional reference in the political-judicial legal debate, which will undoubtedly result in a significant clash, costing the families of the martyrs and victims of the port explosion in their quest for the truth. Sources indicate an anticipated escalation and a potential "binding" of Bitar's hands again.
After Judge Bitar set dates for interrogating the defendants in the Beirut port explosion case, he quickly received a response from Attorney General Ghassan Oueidat in a letter stating that if you can escape from the corners of the heavens and the earth, then escape... In this context, Oueidat also said: It is not true that I will prosecute Bitar; this is out of the question, and his hand is tied, making his decision to return to work illegal. He added, "Bitar ignored us and considered us non-existent as a public prosecution, and we too consider him non-existent."
All these "hellish" developments are bound to create shockwaves both in Lebanon and abroad. It is important to recall the external messages in recent months warning about the possibility of descending into such a scenario. Notably, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf, in early November, warned that Lebanon is open to all scenarios, including a complete collapse of the state, and indicated that the Lebanese will likely have to endure more pain before a new government is formed.
