How Mossad Planned Its Exploding Pager Operation: Inside Israel's Penetration of Hezbollah (msn.com) 54
The Washington Post interviewed Lebanese officials, people close to Hezbollah, and Israeli, Arab and U.S. security officials and politicians about a years-long plan (originated at Mossad headquarters) that ultimately killed or maimed "as many as 3,000 Hezbollah officers and members — most of them rear-echelon figures... along with an unknown number of civilians... when Israel's Mossad intelligence service triggered the devices remotely on September 17."
In the initial sales pitch to Hezbollah two years ago, the new line of Apollo pagers seemed precisely suited to the needs of a militia group with a sprawling network of fighters and a hard-earned reputation for paranoia... Best of all, there was no risk that the pagers could ever be tracked by Israel's intelligence services. Hezbollah's leaders were so impressed they bought 5,000 of them and began handing them out to mid-level fighters and support personnel in February. None of the users suspected they were wearing an ingeniously crafted Israeli bomb...
Israeli officials had watched with increasing anxiety as the Lebanese group added new weapons to an arsenal already capable of striking Israeli cities with tens of thousands of precision-guided missiles. Mossad, the Israeli intelligence service responsible for combating foreign threats to the Jewish state, had worked for years to penetrate the group with electronic monitoring and human informants. Over time, Hezbollah leaders learned to worry about the group's vulnerability to Israeli surveillance and hacking, fearing that even ordinary cellphones could be turned into Israeli-controlled eavesdropping and tracking devices. Thus was born the idea of creating a kind of communications Trojan horse, the officials said. Hezbollah was looking for hack-proof electronic networks for relaying messages, and Mossad came up with a pair of ruses that would lead the militia group to purchase devices that seemed perfect for the job — equipment that Mossad designed and had assembled in Israel.
The first part of the plan, booby-trapped walkie-talkies, began being inserted into Lebanon by Mossad nearly a decade ago, in 2015. The mobile two-way radios contained oversized battery packs, a hidden explosive and a transmission system that gave Israel complete access to Hezbollah communications. For nine years, the Israelis contented themselves with eavesdropping on Hezbollah, the officials said, while reserving the option to turn the walkie-talkies into bombs in a future crisis. But then came a new opportunity and a glitzy new product: a small pager equipped with a powerful explosive. In an irony that would not become clear for many months, Hezbollah would end up indirectly paying the Israelis for the tiny bombs that would kill or wound many of its operatives.
Because Hezbollah leaders were alert to possible sabotage, the pagers could not originate in Israel, the United States or any other Israeli ally. So, in 2023, the group began receiving solicitations for the bulk purchase of Taiwanese-branded Apollo pagers, a well-recognized trademark and product line with a worldwide distribution and no discernible links to Israeli or Jewish interests. The Taiwanese company had no knowledge of the plan, officials said... The marketing official had no knowledge of the operation and was unaware that the pagers were physically assembled in Israel under Mossad oversight, officials said... In a feat of engineering, the bomb component was so carefully hidden as to be virtually undetectable, even if the device was taken apart, the officials said. Israeli officials believe that Hezbollah did disassemble some of the pagers and may have even X-rayed them.
"Thousands of Apollo-branded pagers rang or vibrated at once, all across Lebanon and Syria," according to the article, with a short sentence in Arabic that said "You received an encrypted message." The two-button de-encryption procedure "ensured most users would be holding the pager with both hands when it detonated," according to the article, although "Less than a minute later, thousands of other pagers exploded by remote command, regardless of whether the user ever touched his device. The following day, on September 18, hundreds of walkie-talkies blew up in the same way, killing and maiming users and bystanders..."
"As Hezbollah reeled, Israel struck again, pounding the group's headquarters, arsenals and logistic centers with 2,000-pound bombs," the article concludes. And the strike "convinced the country's political leaders that Hezbollah could be put on the ropes, susceptible to a systematic dismantling using airstrikes and, eventually a ground invasion..."
Israeli officials had watched with increasing anxiety as the Lebanese group added new weapons to an arsenal already capable of striking Israeli cities with tens of thousands of precision-guided missiles. Mossad, the Israeli intelligence service responsible for combating foreign threats to the Jewish state, had worked for years to penetrate the group with electronic monitoring and human informants. Over time, Hezbollah leaders learned to worry about the group's vulnerability to Israeli surveillance and hacking, fearing that even ordinary cellphones could be turned into Israeli-controlled eavesdropping and tracking devices. Thus was born the idea of creating a kind of communications Trojan horse, the officials said. Hezbollah was looking for hack-proof electronic networks for relaying messages, and Mossad came up with a pair of ruses that would lead the militia group to purchase devices that seemed perfect for the job — equipment that Mossad designed and had assembled in Israel.
The first part of the plan, booby-trapped walkie-talkies, began being inserted into Lebanon by Mossad nearly a decade ago, in 2015. The mobile two-way radios contained oversized battery packs, a hidden explosive and a transmission system that gave Israel complete access to Hezbollah communications. For nine years, the Israelis contented themselves with eavesdropping on Hezbollah, the officials said, while reserving the option to turn the walkie-talkies into bombs in a future crisis. But then came a new opportunity and a glitzy new product: a small pager equipped with a powerful explosive. In an irony that would not become clear for many months, Hezbollah would end up indirectly paying the Israelis for the tiny bombs that would kill or wound many of its operatives.
Because Hezbollah leaders were alert to possible sabotage, the pagers could not originate in Israel, the United States or any other Israeli ally. So, in 2023, the group began receiving solicitations for the bulk purchase of Taiwanese-branded Apollo pagers, a well-recognized trademark and product line with a worldwide distribution and no discernible links to Israeli or Jewish interests. The Taiwanese company had no knowledge of the plan, officials said... The marketing official had no knowledge of the operation and was unaware that the pagers were physically assembled in Israel under Mossad oversight, officials said... In a feat of engineering, the bomb component was so carefully hidden as to be virtually undetectable, even if the device was taken apart, the officials said. Israeli officials believe that Hezbollah did disassemble some of the pagers and may have even X-rayed them.
"Thousands of Apollo-branded pagers rang or vibrated at once, all across Lebanon and Syria," according to the article, with a short sentence in Arabic that said "You received an encrypted message." The two-button de-encryption procedure "ensured most users would be holding the pager with both hands when it detonated," according to the article, although "Less than a minute later, thousands of other pagers exploded by remote command, regardless of whether the user ever touched his device. The following day, on September 18, hundreds of walkie-talkies blew up in the same way, killing and maiming users and bystanders..."
"As Hezbollah reeled, Israel struck again, pounding the group's headquarters, arsenals and logistic centers with 2,000-pound bombs," the article concludes. And the strike "convinced the country's political leaders that Hezbollah could be put on the ropes, susceptible to a systematic dismantling using airstrikes and, eventually a ground invasion..."
Re: Bullshit (Score:3, Insightful)
Re: (Score:1)
If a bully keeps flicking your ear even when you try to move away, eventually you're going to do something about it right? Something more than asking them to please stop?
Let us examine America. Say Mexico what launching missiles across the border daily. Do you think the US would wait decades trying to play nice and take out a few bad guys here are there while the strikes continue? No, the US would turn Mexico in to a parking lot if that's what it took to stop them.
Re: (Score:1, Interesting)
Has America been stealing parts of Mexico, piece by piece, in violation of repeated UN resolutions for decades?
Does America arrest Mexicans in Mexico and throw them into indefinite detention?
Has America provided funds to the very terrorist organisation it's fighting just to scupper the chances of a peaceful solution?
Does America have effective control over Mexican airspace, and does it block Mexicans' access to the waters off Mexico's shores?
Does America control what and who passes over the Mexican border w
Re: (Score:3)
If a bully keeps flicking your ear even when you try to move away, eventually you're going to do something about it right? Something more than asking them to please stop?
I'm not the poster you were replying to, but I would like to say that, in that situation, I would absolutely do something. However, that does not mean I will do just anything. For example, I won't find out where they live and cut off their younger siblings heads and leave them in the Bully's bed. I won't burn down their entire neighborhood just to get to them. Basically, someone else's bad behavior does not somehow free you from all restraints or ethical considerations. People get this idea when they are an
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The devices were... only given out by Hezbollah to Hezbollah members.
Explain why Hezbollah military were embedded with civilians. Please.
Explain why an Iranian dignitary was carrying a Hezbollah pager.
Please do explain. Or just admit you're a lying antisemitic sack of shit.
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I don't get why these guys think Hezbolla is so innocent in all of this. Israelis that have nothing to do with them have had to leave their homes for the last year because Hezbolla started lobbing shells at them completely unprovoked. Israel did barely anything to respond to it until the moment those pagers went off. Then you've got this guy and Amimoji manufacturing disinformation (see my signature) out of some deeply misplaced sympathy towards a well known and very active terrorist organization.
And why is
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Re: (Score:2)
You mean the memo about pushing the Jews into the sea?
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You seem to think that fighting a terrorist organization gives a country license to violate international law. It doesn't. At least no more license to kill anyone you want than *sovereignty* does.
People just assume military strikes that kill civilians are automatically war crimes. That's simply not true. But on the other hand, having *a* military objective doesn't make *any* amount of civilian-killing OK. There's supposed to be proportionality between military ends and civilian casualties. Blowing up
Re: Bullshit (Score:2)
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From my point of view both states are terrorist organizations.
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This is what everyone overlooks when taking sides. At this point, both sides fall into this category. We are all part of an international group (UN) and have agreed to adhere to its resolutions. Let the fighting stop, adhere to and implement the resolutions, and then whoever starts fighting again, sanction the shit out of them and then kick them out of UN at the next stage. If they continue to misbehave, go in as an international force and force a regime change.
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Evidence is that it worked. Many of your fellow terrorists are dead.
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A lot more of them are missing eyeballs and/or their jackoff hand.
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I don't get it, and this has nothing to do with being pro-Israeli or pro-Hezbollah. The article is saying the Mossad conned Hezbollah into buying these devices and then set them off. Where's the bullshit in that? Are you saying it didn't happen?
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I signed in to ask the same question: which part is propaganda? Pagers and walkie-talkies exploded in Lebanon? People were killed, some of the potentially part of Hezbollah? Israel, Mossad, had a hand manufacturing and orchestrating the delivery of the pagers and walkies-talkies? The part I cannot find confirmation for is that Mossad and/or Israel has officially taken credit. However, it seems there is no one on any side disputing Israel's role. It would be fairly impressive if there were no exploding commu
LOL (Score:4, Insightful)
So they carried something that stands out and used an organization specific device? Bad idea. Never have the same supplier. Also, don't get Israel as an enemy. Have to wonder if Iran is infiltrated to this level too .. they probably have more knowledge and disruption capability of Iran than that ayatollah dude himself. Wouldn't be surprised if their entire nuclear program is compromised. If only South Korea was as on the ball, diabetes patient in North Korea would be under control.
Re: LOL (Score:2)
Favorite movie quote deemed applicable to this sto (Score:1)
"Boom. Big bada boom"
"Multipass" (to the afterlife)
Israel is just creating more enemies (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Been that way before most here were even born.
Re:Israel is just creating more enemies (Score:4, Insightful)
False. Most Iranians actually like Israel and hate their own rulers. They can't do anything about it because the regime is ruthless and kills anyone they perceive as a threat. Everytime they organize protests there are executions/torture. Organized revolt is impossible, the regime is too powerful because there is a percent of Iran that supports the regime. Also the regime has enough spies and informants to prevent any organized opposition.
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False. Most Iranians actually like Israel and hate their own rulers.
*Citation needed.
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I don't know about most Iranians, but every Persian I've met here in Canada hates the Islamic regime and is quite fond of Israel. The most pro-Israel person I know, who cheers on Netanyahu, is a Persian friend.
When you've lived under Islamic repression in what used to be a forward-looking and cultured society, you get pissed off.
Re:Israel is just creating more enemies (Score:4, Insightful)
>Israel is just creating more enemies to continue the cycle of violence
Sure. But if it wasn't a cycle it'd be line - Hezbollah killing Jews without anything to slow them down.
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i know that you know that hezbollah was created to fight the israeli invasion of lebanon in 1982, but for obvious reasons you'd prefer modern history to start on october 7th 2023.
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If you want it to stop all you have to do is convince Israel's neighbors to stop attacking them. The day that happens Israel will stop.
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Re: Israel is just creating more enemies (Score:3)
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Re: Single State (Score:2)
Differences in action (Score:2, Insightful)
Hezbollah kills indiscriminately. Mossad targeted Hezbollah members.
If they're going to kill each other, I know which group's tactics I can support.
Re: Differences in action (Score:3)
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Save your breath. The OP probably watches FOX News. It doesn't even matter that the whole international community is protesting the indiscriminate killing of civilians and that international courts are passing genocide judgement.
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That's the wrong question. The question is the ratio of civilians to combatants, because in absolute numbers, of course Israel has killed more because they have a much more powerful military.
In terms of ratio, Hezbollah is worse. The 12 Druze kids they killed were not anywhere near a military target.
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The question is the ratio of civilians to combatants
Are you serious? The whole world is complaining about Israel's indiscriminate killing of civilians. Of the over 40000 killed in Gaza, most were women and children [un.org]. Lebanon is just starting and over 2000 civilians have already died (not counting pager and walkie-talkie deaths). Are you going to stick to that line?
Re: (Score:3)
I know which group's tactics I can support.
yeah, the genocidal one's, you have made that very clear many times.
Re: Differences in action (Score:2)
If it helps shalshbots to think about this ... (Score:1)
Israel = Ukraine
Israel's enemies = Russia
Re: (Score:2)
if that's a sketch of western propaganda, you actually nailed it :-)
Re: If it helps shalshbots to think about this ... (Score:2)
Reading between the lines (Score:3)
>American diplomats had been pressing Nasrallah to agree to a separate cease-fire with Israel, without links to the fighting in Gaza, hoping for a deal that could lead to the withdrawal of Hezbollah fighters from the southern Lebanese bases that threatened Israeli citizens in communities near the border.
>Senior Israeli officials said they voiced support for the cease-fire proposal, but Nasrallah withheld his consent, insisting on a cease-fire for Gaza first, U.S. and Middle Eastern officials said. Some senior political and military officials in Israel remained deeply uncertain about targeting Nasrallah, fearing the fallout in the region.
>On Sept. 17, even as the debate in Israel’s highest national security circles about whether to strike the Hezbollah leader raged on, thousands of Apollo-branded pagers rang or vibrated at once, all across Lebanon and Syria. A short sentence in Arabic appeared on the screen: “You received an encrypted message,” it said. ...
> “We will not accept a terror army perched on our northern border, able to perpetrate another Oct. 7-style massacre,” Netanyahu said in the speech [after the explosions].
So let me get this straight...they were engaged in peace negotiations that would withdraw the troops that Israel objected to, under the condition they stop attacking Gaza, and to make sure those talks failed they detonated the devices and assassinated the guy, Nasrallah, who was negotiating for peace?
Excellent plan, now the question for everyone is (Score:1)