An explosion some saw coming

Published on 12 July 2011 at 13:10

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"Criminals," Politis protests in the wake of the explosion of an open-air munitions dump that killed 12 and wounded 62 at a naval base south of Cyprus. "The head of the Cypriot navy, killed in the explosion, had repeatedly warned of the danger the dump posed and requested its transfer to a secure site," writes Politis, pointing to “ideological considerations” that delayed any such action. The explosives had been seized in 2009 from a Cyprus-flagged ship, originally from Russia, that had been carrying this cargo illegally to Syria from Iran. "The chief of staff for the Minister of Foreign Affairs had even, according to Wikileaks, written a note expressing his concern about the contents of the containers,” [the paper notes](http:// http://www.politis-news.com/cgibin/hweb?-A=209955&-V=articles). But because of politics, friendship with Russia and fear of Syria, no one paid any attention. The cost: 12 people lost their lives. The power cuts continue and the tourist village of Zigi has been nearly wiped out by the blast."

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