A brief of today’s news bulletin:

• A smear campaign by Lebanon’s political class against Judge Bitar freezes the probe in Beirut Port blast
• Will the government negotiate the IMF with unified numbers?
• How much are Hezbollah’s profits from Iranian diesel?

Once again, the corrupt political system proves that it is stronger than justice and even stronger than law. The probe was frozen on Monday on the basis of the complaint by MP Nohad Machnouk, whom the Judicial Investigator Tarek Bitar wanted to question on suspicion of negligence, until court of appeal decides either to accept or reject the complaint.

It is again the start, and it is a repeated scenario that happened with the former Judicial Investigator Fadi Sawan, albeit with a difference in some details. Will the final result be similar, that means will politicians prevent Bitar from completing investigations so we go back to the zero point again?

So far, all the information confirms that the political system has taken its decision, and it has formed a political-legal-media operations room to besiege Bitar and prevent him from completing his investigations. The final result depends on two things: Judge Nassib Elia’s decision, and the popular pressure that will be exerted on the political class to prevent it from completing its infernal series aimed at stifling the truth and preventing justice from being achieved.

Will the judiciary be stronger this time than the political system and dare to face it? The matter is subject to discussion, provided that the people form a popular security for the judges. The judicial body in Lebanon is left to its fate to confront a system that allows everything in order to preserve its gains and prevent accountability.

Therefore, the popular embrace of the judges is vital, especially since the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister, and the Minister of Justice have not yet denounced Wafiq Safa’s threats at the Palace of Justice in Beirut.

Will the people move and rise up to preserve what is left? Or will the history books mention tomorrow that the Lebanese rose up on October 17^th against introducing $six fee on WhatsApp calls, and did not revolt against destroying half of their capital and the killing of more than 200 of their countrymen?