More on those exploding pagers and Hezbollah
One of the goals of the exploding pagers planted by Israel’s Mossad on Hezbollah operatives was to cultivate fear. I think that goal was met. The exploding pagers have seemed like a turning point from more conventional urban warfare against terrorists to something previously unheard-of in its creativity and audacity.
Two anonymous and disguised ex-Mossad agents were recently featured on 60 Minutes, describing some of the details. We have no way of knowing how much they said was true, but it certainly should send a shiver through every terrorist bent on harming Israel. For example:
One of them said the psychological effect the attack had on Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, who he asserted saw pagers blow up operatives right next to him, was a “tipping point of the war.”
That agrees with my perception that it was a turning point.
More:
One agent said the operation started 10 years ago using walkie-talkies laden with hidden explosives, which Hezbollah didn’t realize it was buying from Israel, which it has sworn to destroy.
“We created a pretend world,” said the officer, who went by the name “Michael.”
Phase two of the plan, using the booby-trapped pagers, began in 2022 after Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency learned Hezbollah had been buying pagers from a Taiwan-based company, the second officer said. …
The second agent, who went by the name “Gabriel,” said it took two weeks to convince Hezbollah to switch to the heftier pager, in part by using false ads on YouTube promoting the devices as dustproof, waterproof, providing a long battery life and more.
He described the use of shell companies, including one based in Hungary, to dupe the Taiwanese firm, Gold Apollo, into unknowingly partnering with the Mossad. …
“When they are buying from us, they have zero clue that they are buying from the Mossad,” Gabriel said. “We make like ‘Truman Show,’ everything is controlled by us behind the scene. In their experience, everything is normal. Everything was 100% kosher including businessman, marketing, engineers, showroom, everything.” …
“We create a pretend world. We are a global production company. We write the screenplay, we’re the directors, we’re the producers, we’re the main actors, and the world is our stage.”
If you saw this in a movie you would not believe it. Except, now you would.
More:
He asserted that the veteran Hezbollah leader saw pagers exploding and injuring people who were right next to him in his bunker. Asked how he knows that, Gabriel said, “It’s a strong rumor.”
Two days after the attack, Nasrallah gave a speech.
“If you look at his eyes, he was defeated,” Gabriel said. “He already lose the war. And his soldier look at him during that speech. And they saw a broken leader.”
And Israel doesn’t want terrorists to think that anything they do or anything they touch is safe:
“We want them to feel vulnerable, which they are. We can’t use the pagers again because we already did that. We’ve already moved on to the next thing. And they’ll have to keep on trying to guess what the next thing is.”
Hezbollah’s recruiting probably isn’t going all that well these days.
Not long after 10/7, when the war in Gaza began, I recall reading that, hard as the Gazan campaign was, the inevitable future war against Hezbollah in Lebanon would be far more difficult. Hezbollah had more weapons and more forces, and were thought to be a far more formidable enemy. That’s why it was so stunning to see how quickly the tables were turned, and with what shocking innovation in the tactics of waging war against terrorists. Not only that, but it was astounding to realize that this plan had been hatched ten years ago and expanded on two years ago, and yet the Israelis had been patiently biding their time and waiting till they needed to execute the scheme.
Extraordinary.
Oh, and well, this just in — https://x.com/sentdefender/status/1871294479619297480
I saw this last night. A lot of the information in the 60 Minutes report had already been reported. But the information about Nasrallah seeing pagers exploding was news to me, and to a lot of other people.
Given the evidence of Israeli moles burrowing underneath the Hezbollah superstructure, I find this “strong rumor” quite plausible. After all, the IDF knew enough about Nasrallah’s movements to kill him when he was deep underground.
IIIC, Hezbollah has been firing about 100 rockets a day since October 8. I wonder how Hezbollah’s rocket campaign is faring recently. There was a big barrage (250) reported on November 23, but much less since the November 27 “ceasefire.”
Brilliant is not too strong a word.
A competent government operation run by serious and capable people who didn’t blab about it for ten years. I’m not so much impressed by what Israel accomplished, as depressed by the contrast with the competence and capability of my own government.
It should not be forgotten that they(Mossad) did not see the events of October 7.
There are those who say they saw it but chose not to tell Bibi about it, much less do anything to stop it.
As to the genius, there’s nothing like a genuine threat to survival to get the creative juices flowing. Maybe it’s in their blood.
Israeli patience was fantastic. It also shows the as far more likely to keep fighting until their is a Peace Agreement with agreed to borders.
I hope it happens soon-ish in 2025. It being peace.
I’m wondering how Israel will occupy and rule Gaza in the not yet achieved post war period.
Good work.
It is always useful, from time to time, for the world’s inhabitants to be reminded that having respect for others is not a principle that is limited to polite society, or something that is always optional when it comes to survival.
Is the following true?
(Read all the way down….)
I guess time will tell…
“Don’t Look Now, but Iran’s Islamist Theocrats Are in Deep Doo-Doo”—
https://pjmedia.com/vodkapundit/2024/12/23/dont-look-now-but-irans-islamist-theocrats-are-in-deep-doo-doo-n4935382
There’s certainly time enough for some bizarre and unexpected—even horrifying—twists and turns as the M.E. enters its next phase (i.e., goes “back to the future”).
Similarly, on the home front, a lot could happen between now and January 20, as the Democrats have invested far too much in destroying the country to let things slip out of their control so easily.
And from the “Saving Democracy” File:
“There’s a terrifying reason behind Biden’s Christmas gift to child rapists and killers. MAUREEN CALLAHAN exposes the cowardly depths of the president’s latest act”—
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14222601/biden-pardon-commutation-maureen-callahan.html
Key graf:
“…What is Biden’s cabinet, what is the entire Democratic Party, waiting for? Or Congress?
Why have they failed to invoke the 25th amendment and remove this president, one revealed as barely there, sleeping the days away, unreachable by his top staffers, non compos mentis his entire term?….”