Ghosts of Beirut – Season 1 Episode 1 “Emergence” Recap & Review

Emergence

Ghosts of Beirut mainly operates in two timelines. One in 2007 and the other in the 1980’s. There might be more scenes from other decades, depending on where the story ends up taking us. For now though, we’re heading off for the Middle East region, mainly in the troika of Iran, Lebanon, and Iraq.

There are elements of documentary-styled historians and ex-CIA operatives to enhance its authenticity, and Ghosts of Beirut follows the decades-long pursuit of notorious Lebanese terrorist, Imad Mughniyeh.

On 20th January 2007 in Karbala (Southern Iraq), a terrorist group attacks a civilian administrative centre. Duty Officer Lena Asayran is called into CIA tactical headquarters for responding to the attack. The terrorist uses American gear and the security guard of Peter Rossouw to get in. She senses a Lebanese accent in the radio intercept from them.

A drone captures footage near Iran’s border, where we learn that the liaison officers they took hostage are found dead.

Lena believes this is Radwan a.k.a. Imad Mughniyeh’s work. Right from Tel Aviv to Washington, everyone wants to find Radwan in that era. Lena meets Ali Reza Asgari, Deputy Defence Minister of Iran in a CIA safehouse in Istanbul, Turkey. He refutes any claims of knowing Imad or hiring him, as Lena alleges. She is originally from Baalbek, Lebanon. She presses him for more answers as she knows General Soleimani isn’t willing to protect Asgari as he stole a lot of money being part of the government.

We go back to 1982 in Beirut, Lebanon. We see Imad as a young mechanic, the former bodyguard of Chairman Arafat, who had to feel Beirut when the militia took over. Imad’s wife’s name is Saada, who has a brother, Mustafa. Imad also has a brother, Haidar.

Asgari is with Mohtashmi Pur, Iran’s ambassador to Syria, and they both are at the behest of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. They tell him they have established a terrorist camp in Baalbek for training, and invite Imad and his friends there.

Imad is against Israeli actions in Lebanon. He lists their bases on the map to Asgari and says he will bring justice to them one day.

Robert Ames is a CIA legend and in a meeting with CIA’s top operatives and White House liaisons, he posits that the Israelis need to leave Lebanon. The CIA must secure the Israeli-Lebanese border with UN troops, initiate peace negotiations between Arabs and Israelis, and consolidate stability in Lebanon. Once they have done this, they can disarm the militia, and strengthen the military. It is a genuine two-state solution.

Saada fears for Imad’s life after he shows her the armoury of weapons, whose keys Arafat left him. Ames reports the new terrorist camp to William Casey where Ames meets his PLO source.

Ames tells him that Israelis will withdraw from Lebanon but the PLO will have to keep quiet. He refers to Imad and the new terrorist camp and fears that they will fight back. Imad takes his friends to the camp and acts as an instructor.

Asgari and Pur ask Imad to support their revolution. The clock ticks to September 1982 when Lebanese President Bashir Gemayel is assassinated. His militia fights back and kills many innocent Israeli and Palestinian people.

America’s regional plan for peace is disrupted and Lebanon is torn apart by a cocktail of powers trying to take control, further strengthening Imad’s resolve. He suggests finding someone to commit a suicide bombing act in one of Israel’s camps in Tyre, Lebanon.

They find a man, Ahmed, who lost most of his family in the attacks. He is thirsty for revenge and after some convincing from Imad, he agrees to do it. He even has a son, Ali, but Imad ensures him that they will take care of Ali. This is really a first-hand experience of how terrorists are born. They are brainwashed with ideology and religion.

Ames visits Mossad’s HQ in Beirut, and they are not willing to withdraw, even as Ames sounds off a warning of dire consequences for Israel.

The attack takes place in November. It is a huge blow to the Israelis but they are calling it a gas leak and dealing with it internally. While investigating the explosion, Meir Dagan, a Mossad operative, finds out that it couldn’t have been a gas leak. He informs Ames of the same and takes him to Ahmad’s house.

Asgari welcomes Radwan and praises him for the move. Radwan proposes to Asgari that they put pictures of Ahmed around the city, marking him as a martyr and hero.

Dagan believes Imam Khomeini’s men, the supreme leader of Iran, have recruited these new terrorists and will also come for the CIA. Ames wants assets in Baalbek but it will be difficult. Saada is getting tense after Ahmed’s posters have been put up, and Radwan’s dubious behaviour is also concerning for her. However, he tries to assure her that no harm will come to them. Mossad still maintains it was a gas leak as they do not want to make Ahmed a hero.

Ames’ tactics work as Mossad agree to pull out of Lebanon. Casey sends him to the country to conclude the deal and April 18th 1983, is the day America understood the locals perceived them as enemies. Radwan masterminds another suicide explosion at the CIA HQs, where almost everyone, including Ames, dies.

The Episode Review

Fierce, authentic, and uncompromising; that is how the first episode of Ghosts of Beirut should be described. The Showtime offering imbibes a deeply researched core about the war-torn Middle East in the 1980s and the decades-long pursuit of Imad Mughniyeh.

He is a mythical character from America’s chequered history in the region and a hero for the jihadi terrorists who worshipped him.

Episode 1 introduced us to the beginning of this sordid affair and how Imad kickstarted the export of the Iranian revolution in neighbouring countries. The narrative was on point without being condescending or dull. This seems like a great production with all-round qualities to make it a compelling watch.