<<Beirut has a first-class record in on-time takeoffs; the question must be asked if controllers allowed this to overcome any doubts about the weather.>>
Not wholly sure what the writer meant, but it's the pilot who decides whether to take-off, not ATC. ATC can only issue a clearance based on traffic and one or two other factors. The weather at the time is not (usually) a consideration. I've seen many pilots refuse take-off into storms whilst others did.