BEIRUT: An explosion went off in the building that houses the office of lawyer Sakher El-Hachem on Monday afternoon, in the Nakhle Center in Furn El-Chebbak, Beirut.
El-Hachem and his two sons, lawyers Shahid and Nahi, who were with him at the time of the explosion, were not injured, but there was damage in the buidling.
The motives behind the explosion are not yet known.
El-Hachem is the legal representative for many defendants in different cases, but his most prominent client is Nissan in the file of businessman Carlos Ghosn, who is being investigated in Lebanon in corruption cases.
El-Hachem is also the legal representative of some clients who were arrested in the case of the Beirut Port blast on Aug. 4.
Most notably among those are the head of the temporary committee for the management and investment of Beirut Port, Hassan Koraytem, the head of the security and safety department in the port, Mohammed Ziyad Al-Awf, and the maritime agent of the Rossos ship that transported nitrate ammonium to Beirut, Mustafa Baghdadi.
Using the language of bombing has declined in recent years. However, many political and security officials, including the caretaker Minister of Interior Mohammed Fahmy, have expressed fears about the possibility of the deterioration of the security situation through assassinations in light of the crises in Lebanon.
El-Hachem’s wife told Arab News that her husband and two sons were unharmed but that the explosion was huge.
A security investigation was currently underway to find out further details, she added.
Ms. El Hachem said the investigation included surveillance cameras located in the area.
She added that the office windows were shattered, “but my children and husband survived.”
She said that her husband “has previously stated that it is likely that the cause of the Beirut Port blast was negligence, and we do not know if this statement was the reason behind the explosion, which is an obvious message.”
She added: “It is worth noting that my husband has nothing to do with politics, but only works according to the law.”
Lawyer El-Hachem later said that “the security forces and the forensics are carrying out their duties and have started their investigation.”
The Beirut and Tripoli Bar Associations have been on strike for more than 20 days.
The strike is “in defense of the independence and prestige of the judiciary, and in protest of the failure of those involved in the judiciary to correct the relationship with the Bar Association, which violated the Bar’s laws.”
‘Huge explosion’ targets top lawyer’s office in Beirut
https://arab.news/mpprr
‘Huge explosion’ targets top lawyer’s office in Beirut
- El-Hachem is Nissan legal representative in Lebanon and for detainees arrested in August port explosion case
Washington presses Syria to shift from Chinese telecom systems
- Syria is exploring the possibility of procuring Chinese technology
- It was unclear whether the United States pledged financial or logistical support to Syria to do so
DAMASCUS: The United States has warned Syria against relying on Chinese technology in its telecommunications sector, arguing it conflicts with US interests and threatens US national security, according to three sources familiar with the matter.
The message was conveyed during an unreported meeting between a US State Department team and Syrian Communications Minister Abdulsalam Haykal in San Francisco on Tuesday. Washington has been coordinating closely with Damascus since 2024, when Syria’s now President Ahmed Al-Sharaa ousted longtime leader Bashar Assad, who had a strategic partnership with China.
Syria is exploring the possibility of procuring Chinese technology to support its telecommunications towers and the infrastructure of local Internet service providers, according to a Syrian businessman involved in the procurement talks.
“The US side asked for clarity on the ministry’s plans regarding Chinese telecom equipment,” said another source briefed on the talks.
But Syrian officials said infrastructure development projects were time-critical and that Damascus was seeking greater vendor diversity, the source added.
SYRIAN OFFICIALS CITE US EXPORT CONTROLS AS TELECOMS BARRIER
Syria is open to partnering with US firms but the matter was urgent and export controls and “over-compliance” remained an issue, according to person familiar with the meeting in San Francisco.
A US diplomat familiar with the discussions told Reuters that the US State Department “clearly urged Syrians to use American technology or technology from allied countries in the telecoms sector.”
It was unclear whether the United States pledged financial or logistical support to Syria to do so.
Responding to Reuters questions, a US State Department spokesperson said: “We urge countries to prioritize national security and privacy over lower-priced equipment and services in all critical infrastructure procurement. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.”
The spokesperson added that Chinese intelligence and security services “can legally compel Chinese citizens and companies to share sensitive data or grant unauthorized access to their customers’ systems” and promises by Chinese companies to protect customers’ privacy were “entirely inconsistent with China’s own laws and well-established practices.”
China has repeatedly rejected allegations of it using technology for spying purposes.
The Syrian Ministry of telecommunications told Reuters any decisions related to equipment and infrastructure are made “in accordance with national technical and security standards, ensuring data protection and service continuity.”
The ministry said it is also prioritizing the diversification of partnerships and technology sources to serve the national interest.
Syria’s telecom infrastructure has relied heavily on Chinese technology due to US sanctions imposed on successive Assad governments over the civil war that grew from a crackdown on anti-government protests in 2011.
Huawei technology accounts for more than 50 percent of the infrastructure of Syriatel and MTN, the country’s only telecom operators, according to a senior source at one of the companies and documents reviewed by Reuters. Huawei did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Syria is seeking to develop its private telecommunications sector, devastated by 14 years of war, by attracting foreign investment.
In early February, Saudi Arabia’s largest telecom operator, STC, announced it would invest $800 million to “strengthen telecommunications infrastructure and connect Syria regionally and internationally through a fiber-optic network extending over 4,500 kilometers.”
The ministry of telecommunications says that US restrictions “hinder the availability of many American technologies and services in the Syrian market,” emphasizing that it welcomes expanding cooperation with US companies when these restrictions are lifted.
Syria has inadequate telecommunications infrastructure, with network coverage weak outside city centers and connection speeds in many areas barely exceeding a few kilobits per second.
