After a clandestine and ingenious Israeli attack targeted pagers and walkie-talkies sold to Hezbollah that were rigged with explosives and then remotely detonated, Lebanon is in a state of panic, leading public officials to immediately prohibit these electronic devices on any commercial aircraft.
Pagers, Walkie-Talkies Banned At Beirut Airport After Israeli Operation Against Hezbollah
Lebanon’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation has banned travelers from taking pagers and walkie-talkies onto flights. The ban is effective immediately, is indefinite, and applies to:
- carry-on luggage
- checked luggage
- cargo
Per Qatar Airways:
Effective immediately: Following the directive received from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation of the Republic of Lebanon, all passengers flying from Beirut Rafic Harirl International Airport (BEY) are prohibited from carrying pagers and walkie-talkies on board flights.…
— Qatar Airways (@qatarairways) September 19, 2024
The reason for this seemingly strange ban is a pair of incidents this week in Lebanon. First, a batch of pagers sold to Hezbollah blew up in a targeted mission that killed over a dozen terrorists and injured thousands of others, including rendering many permanently infertile. The following day, walkie-talkies were remotely detonated in an attack that injured hundreds and killed 25 more.
The result, understandably, was fear and panic in Lebanon. I won’t embed any of the CCTV video of some of these pagers exploding, but the mission worked according to plan: it is thought that Israeli intelligence directly facilitated the sale of these electronic devices, selling them directly to Hezbollah.
You might recall the brief ban on electronic devices in carry-on bags we experienced in 2017…I wrote about my own experience here. This goes a step further in that electronic devices are not even permitted in the cargo hold.
Lebanon appears so petrified that it wants to take no chances in even trying to screen each electronic device for explosives. Its response is understandable under the circumstances.
On The Politics Of It All…
And finally, let me clearly and unequivocally say that I shed no tears for any member of Hezbollah who lost his life or his ability to reproduce in this brilliant Israeli attack.
Unlike the unfortunate destruction of civilians in Gaza because Hamas has used them as human shields, here it appears that Israel brilliantly planned this attack over a months-long period in order to target Hezbollah officials for destruction, not civilian bystanders.
Let’s not forget that Hezbollah was formed to violently fight against what it called “American and Israeli imperialism.” It has been designated as a terrorist organization by most Western governments because…it is a terrorist organization with a stated goal of eliminating the state of Israel through any and all means necessary.
There was no terror attack in Lebanon this week; this was a highly targeted strike against terrorists. There is no tragedy in the loss of these lives except that they will spend eternity in torment.
CONCLUSION
If you’re flying via Beirut or other points in Lebanon, keep in mind that you’ll have to leave your pagers and walkie-talkies at home. There’s no word yet on whether your fax machines are still permitted.
It’s interesting reading about Palantir Technologies. This former Silicon Valley start up (and now Denver based) is the genius behind many of these plans. The U.S DOD etc uses their data driven AI, as does Ukraine and Israel to uncover weaknesses and exploit the enemy. It’s pretty well known that it was their tech that found bin Laden and has been behind most of the location tracking and execution plans of high level terrorists.
Palantir is just getting started. Seeing our abilities with their systems should put the fear of god into every terrorist and rogue nation. Even Putin should be afraid.
This genius move your described has terrorists all over the globe afraid of even brushing their teeth. Nothing may happen but there nothing worse for these guys that living in fear.
@Santastico . +1 . Similar to U.S. sabotaging enemy ammunition during Viet Nam . Re-load their captured ammunition with C4 , and re-position it in their bases . After their weapons are destroyed , they fear using their own ammunition , and they will need to re-test each shipment .
Yeah and then when the people you don’t like start using that same technology…oops.
Come on, it’s funny seeing videos of bloody Arabs that aren’t in your bed.
86% of the top 500 tech companies are U.S. based. Putin, Xi and terrorist nations will soon learn how far behind they are. With NATO alongside we could turn these countries into parking lots in a matter of hours if we wanted.
This has to be one of the most genius moves from any Intelligence Agency ever. It feels like it came from a James Bond movie. Absolutely genius. Now, it is 2024, unless you have something to hide or bad intentions, who carries a pager or a walkie talkie around these days?
I am anti-Hezbollah. I have a walkie talkie.
The longer these pagers were in circulation, the more that civilians started to use them. Some kids were killed and injured.
This operation was not strategic. It was harassment. In other words, trying to sow fear and terror. In other words, a terrorist attack. Israel committed a terrorist attack.
Yet, I have no sympathy for Hezbollah. They murdered William Higgins and showed him gasping for air has the rope was around his neck while he hung from the ceiling.
They tortured William Buckley, CIA station chief in Lebanon. They did not use sissy tactics, like waterboarding. They used drills to drill into his joints. He was so tortured that he was a wreck, drooling and screaming in pain.
Yes, Israel commits terrorist attacks aimed against a bigger terrorist group, Hezbollah. Yes, they kill civilians. Yes, they are greedy for land and deny the right of Gaza to exist. Yes, Netanyahu is opposed to a 2 state situation. A region full of hotheads and greed.
Derek, according to you, knocking out an enemy – and a terrorist one that that – is terrorism. How would you prefer Israel respond? Should they also just lob thousands of missiles into civilian areas to make it proportionate? That it bothers you that terrorists were eliminated in an ingenious methos which highly limited civilian casualties, says more about you than Israel.
You say you hate them as well – what would be your suggestion as to how to remove them from this earth and to stop them from harming not just Israelis, but also Americans as you mentioned?
@Steve … +1 . It was a military tactic to defeat a vile enemy . Payback is an excellent military response .
Israel is too weak to bomb Iran.
Gaza is too weak to invade Israel with tanks.
Therefore, both commit terrorism though Israel less because its conventional military is very strong.
@derek … Iranian troops in Syria were some of the pagers-casualties . Israel will never be complacent because it is hated by vile moron fanatics . Israel is Not weak . Israel may be the most resilient and clever military force on earth .
Israel is committing terrorism because the goal isn’t to take out Hezbollah, it’s to strike fear into the heart of the Lebanese population. Just like flying fighter jets at low altitudes on a daily basis to create sonic booms is done to terrorize the population.
But the main goal is the ratchet up the tension and provoke a regional war, which is really the goal of Netenyahu and the more rightwing elements in his government want to do.
To what end? Expand Israeli borders?
@Santastico … +1 . Sabotaging enemy weapons is an old tactic . The U.S. did something similar in Viet Nam war , called “Eldest Son” . We re-loaded their crated , captured ammunition with C4 explosive , and re-positioned it in their bases . When they fired their rifles or mortars , their weapons exploded . Also called “Payback” .
There are doctors who are still using hospital-provided pagers or have gone back to using such pagers. Walkie-talkies are also coming back a bit into vogue for kids as more and more adults realize how “smart phones” are making future taxpayers dumb and dumber.
Whoops there goes my travel plans to take my FAX machine with me !
All electronic devices ought to be permanently banned from airports and flights . Beirut Airport is correct .
How you gonna enjoy 72 virgins if your dick gets blown off by a pager of all things lmao
The 72 grapes go into the mouth, as it’s a reference to fruit and not people. But give it to a bunch of bigoted dudes to have an obsession with virgin females and to keep the misleading rumor mill going as if it’s the gospel. Oh, wait, you may consider it gospel. 😉
Ah the effects of Israeli terrorism being exported all over the globe, with the full backing of the imperial nuclear-armed U.S. The sooner the Zionist entity ceases to exist, the better everyone will be.
Oh, you are funny. The ‘Zionist entity’ LOL!!!
Mossad has defined a new technological method of warfare against the evil axis of Iran, its proxy terrorists organisations of Hamas, Hezbollah and the IRG.
The Islamic Caliphate is determined to terrorise the Western democracies back into the Middle Ages.
Soon all Islamic terrorists will have to live their lives in the primeval world or risk extinction at the hands of Mossad and the IDF.
@Aero … +1 . The Hamasians in their Moronic world , with their Moronic electronic devices .
If they were sent Camel-a to be their teacher , that would be another move in the right direction .
Will Israel be so happy once people start using similar tactics against them?
What’s new in this regard?
Getting into a supply or contract chain to disrupt enemy operations? Old hack.
Concealing explosives in devices used for mundane purposes so as to get bombs closer to enemy targets? Old hack.
Remote detonation of bombs with RF signals of the involved sorts and others? Old hack.
Doing all 3 of the above together? Also old hack.
Among the only things novel about this situation is how large the number is of non-state actors injured and killed in such a way in such a compressed period of time.
You keep producing classical Islamophobic garbage, so let’s see if you can produce something that isn’t garbage — an accurate and truthful answer to the following question: where is this contemporary boogeyman Islamic Caliphate of which you speak?
Anytime anyone is feeling depressed, watch that video of the clown at the fruit stand dropping. If that doesn’t cheer you up and make you laugh, nothing will.
That said, it did look like they get some incredibly fresh grapes there. Damn shame they were ruined with this guys body parts and blood. But these animals probably washed them off and put them back out for sale.
Oh shut up you disgusting hamster penis.
After reading Ben’s coverage, it’s refreshing to see your take of the incidents.
I mean, Matthew is a borderline Zionist…
And you’re 100% hooked on terrorist c#ck.
Sounds like you are sharing your sexual fetishes. Whatever floats your boat floats your, even as I find it gross.
If being against terrorism equates to “borderline zionist” in your book, he’ll happily accept that title.
This is literally the definition of a terrorist attack and violation of international human rights law conducted by Israel and is no better than any other rogue regime indiscriminately targeting civilians. Israel had no way of knowing who would actually be in possession of the devices at the time of the explosion, nor their location and surroundings. It is being reported that several children were killed by the explosions. To act like this attack was any more targeted or ingenious is delusional and demonstrative of a double standard.
Sabotage has been a traditional war tactic forever . Effective against morons such as the Viet Cong and Hamasians. The Hamasians are such morons they treasure orders from their electronic devices , given to them by their moron bosses .
As others have pointed out, if Israel is capable of such sabotage and targeted attacks, why has it been carpet bombing the Gaza strip for the last 11 months?
Because it’s never been about Khamahs, wanting peace, or rescuing the hostages.
Interesting. Because to me, just having a pager in 2024 seems odd and suspicious enough. It would be like someone rolling up to valet in a Ford Model T.
I will never want a restaurant to give me a pager again to notify me when my table or food is ready!
LOL
I wouldn’t call an attack that blows up and kills a 9-year-old girl “ingenious,” but I suppose we all have a different barometer for these things.
I would certainly call this particular operation clever, original, and inventive.
Both trains of thought can be correct at the same time.
Mr. Putin, would you like to buy a Sonicare? It will get your teeth sparkling white! (And will leave awful red stains on your bathroom walls.)
And I have the perfect Kremlin red custom headphones as a gift! Guaranteed to blow your socks off
I would assume a paranoid-for-all-sorts-of-understandable-reasons Putin has most all of his gifts examined for explosives. Mail to the US President is examined for security threats before delivery — even the vast amounts of mail sent to the US President but which never makes it to a President are often examined for dangers.
It wasn’t unusual for even poor third world country leaders to sometimes have seemingly expensive gifts such as watches (even when given via known channels) scanned for bugs and explosives.
‘Ingenious Israeli Attack’
Do you mean a further act of genocide?
With respect, I know we see quite differently on this issue.
I don’t know how you or anyone else can expect Israel to ignore rockets being launched from Lebanon into its territory. The UK certainly would not tolerate that.
And you endorse the rubble that is now Gaza and the acts of genocide there?
I’ve no doubt of the horror of the WW2 holocaust and have visited a number of places that it was carried out including Auschwitz but even there and the gas chambers did not give the State of Israel the right to carry out acts of genocide against other peoples for eternity indeed, the Israeli government should now pay the same price for mass murder as those who implemented what I now think of as the WW2 holocaust because it has been succeeded by the State of Israel.
Not as ingenious as using airliners as missiles, resulting in USA committing war crimes and sending thousands to troops to die in action and thousands more to substance abuse and suicide.
Palestine and Lebanon are entitled to defend themselves against bombs and missiles. Anyone who says otherwise is simply racist.
So let them respond, which only gives the Israelis more cover to attack further.
If it’s racist to want to kill savage dogs who terrorize the world repeatedly for generations, well, so be it.
Some would say it’s racist to think of people as dogs, as dehumanizing of people is part and parcel of racists encouraging racism.
Criminals of all sorts remain people. As do the people in the communities in which criminals live.
Too bad babies are not seen as people if they are in the womb.
I wonder how many of you would be defending this tactic if one of the explosions went off in an airplane and killed several dozen Americans
It would not go over well. Because we do not terrorize the world repeatedly like these pigs. As such, for those several hundred who died we will be sure to kill several thousand in return. Or more. Because we can. And they deserve it.
Just an objective reminder to all those Israeli praising goyim,you,your spouse,children are still by their religious laws filthy gentiles,lower than pigs,and merely touching you requires a ritualistic tikva bath,cleansing them of your putrid filth.
Orthodox Jew here:
“…you, your spouse, children are still by their religious laws filthy gentiles”:
Fact Check: FALSE. Jews do not consider human beings “filthy”. Gentiles, yes, as “you” aren’t Jewish. “Filthy”, no! As long as a non-Jew keeps the 7 Noahide laws they are good. No need to convert to Judaism. Jews even believe that non-Jews even get rewarded after death.
“lower than pigs”:
Fact Check: FALSE. Jews believe that all human beings are made by and have a “piece” of G-d inside them. Animals do not.
“and merely touching you requires a ritualistic tikva bath,cleansing them of your putrid filth.”
Fact Check: FALSE. Jews do not believe that Non-Jew’s give off “putrid filth” (whatever that is…) nor is there any ritual bath even called a “tikva”. HaTikva is actually the Israeli national anthem which means “the hope”. Ask any Jew if they go to the “tikva” after shaking hands with a non-Jew and they’ll look at you like you fell from the moon (which you may have…)
In today’s challenging times, we all should stand in solidarity with Israel and show support to the Israel people who are constantly being targeted and bullied by neighbouring countries
Israel is a genocidal pariah state.
The right to self-defense is not genocidal and does not make one a pariah.
An incredibly targeted attack against terrorists that hate the west.
Sorry for the loss of the terrorist’s daughter who was bringing the pager to her dad, but hopefully he learns that continuing to be a terrorist has collateral damage.
Glad to read your take as compared to Lucky’s gross take about a terror attack and simping for terrorists.
Tikva,mikveot,whatever,Lol.JohnPaull 2 was the first pope to establish vatican relations with israel,strike passages from the bible he perceived as anti semitic,and first to visit Israel.Upon so doing he also met with a man he knew as boys growing up,and of course they embraced.When asked about the encounter later,the man stated,nice to see him sure,but if my rabbi tells me to,I’ll be sure to have the ritualistic bath.Imagine the pope saying douse me with holy water after touching that jew! The killing of UN aid workers is clear display of the foul contempt.