Amid standoff in Beirut blast probe, US national released

By BASSEM MROUE and KAREEM CHEHAYEB
Associated Press

BEIRUT (AP) — Scores of protesters have scuffled with riot police in Beirut as they try to break into the chief offices of Lebanon’s judiciary. The demonstrations came after Lebanon’s chief prosecutor moved Wednesday to cripple the probe into a massive port explosion that wreaked havoc on the capital city two years ago. The prosecutor ordered the release of all suspects detained in the investigation and filed charges against the judge leading the probe, Tarek Bitar. Among the released detainees was a U.S. citizen whose detention without trial had drawn threats of sanctions from American officials, and who promptly left Lebanon, circumventing a travel ban.