The Exploding Pagers

[George K]

These Israeli tactics are terrorism, says Leon Panetta.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/former-cia-director-leon-panetta-calls-israel-s-pager-explosion-operation-terrorism/ar-AA1r0Ymp

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During an interview with CBS News Sunday Morning, Panetta told anchor Lee Cowan that the action’s by Israel are “a form of terrorism.” Panetta then added that the action’s by Israel could lead to more deadly operations going forward in the war.

PANETTA: The ability to be able to place an explosive in technology that is very prevalent these days. And turn it into a war of terror. Really, a war of terror. This is something new.

COWAN: Is it terrorism?

PANETTA: I don’t think there’s any question that it’s a form of terrorism…This is going right into the supply chain, right into the supply chain. And when you have terror going into the supply chain, it makes people ask the question, what the hell is next?

COWAN: It sounds like you’re genuinely worried.

PANETTA: I am. I am. This is a tactic. That has repercussions. And we really don’t know what those repercussions are going to be…The forces of war are largely in control right now. What’s going on?

COWAN: Do you think there should be condemnation for it? Should other nations step in, including us?

PANETTA: I think it’s going to be very important for the nations of the world to have a serious discussion. About whether or not this is an area that everybody has to focus on, because if they don’t try to deal with it now. Mark my word. It is the battlefield of the future.

Just a reminder, Panetta was one of the 51 intelligence experts who said the laptop was Russian disinformation despite being verified by the FBI.

[George K]

John Brennan (another signatory to the letter) agrees.

[LuFins Dad]

Wasn’t Panetta one of intelligence guys pushing the Iraq WMD line, too?

Edit.. Autocorrect is getting worse. It was refusing to let me write Panetta and kept making it Panera.

[LuFins Dad]

I don’t get the whole point of escalation… “Oh no! Hezbollah’s going to try and kill Jews”, uhm, yeah? That’s new, how?

The only concern I have is what comes after Hezbollah? It seems to me that between the recent tech strikes and the command strikes, Israel Luxembourg has pretty good intel on these guys. These operations are devastating them. It feels like as an organization, Hezbollah is about to be destroyed. If that’s the case, what’s next? Because we know there will be a next…

[George K]

@LuFins-Dad said in The Exploding Pagers:

Because we know there will be a next…

That's right. But, considering the amount of damage that Israel has done to the command structure of Hamas and Hezbollah that might take quite a while.

Seems like the Israelis finally said, "Enough of this shit. We're going after the big guys." The fact that they got one of the masterminds of the Beirut barracks bombing in the last few days makes me think that.

Was it new intelligence that prompted that, or were they keeping their powder dry, waiting for the "right" moment? If the latter, don't you think the US would have had some concerns about it's only real ally in the Middle East?

[Mik]

@LuFins-Dad said in The Exploding Pagers:

I don’t get the whole point of escalation… “Oh no! Hezbollah’s going to try and kill Jews”, uhm, yeah? That’s new, how?

The only concern I have is what comes after Hezbollah? It seems to me that between the recent tech strikes and the command strikes, Israel Luxembourg has pretty good intel on these guys. These operations are devastating them. It feels like as an organization, Hezbollah is about to be destroyed. If that’s the case, what’s next? Because we know there will be a next…

The alternative is simply live with an unacceptable status quo.

[taiwan_girl]

Killing you by shooting a missle from a long ways away is okay. Blowing up a pager is not.

I dont get it.

[Doctor Phibes]

Maybe it is terrorism, but that doesn't mean it isn't OK. The French resistance were arguably terrorists, and we supported them, and rightly so obviously.

Saying you've no idea who it's going to kill is kind of silly. Does we remember dropping all those bombs on Vietnam and Dresden?

[bachophile]

Kewl military vid of the day
F-15 downs a UAV

[Mik]

Very cool.

[taiwan_girl]

Somewhat related:

https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/travel/what-the-exploding-pager-attack-means-for-air-travel-15675faf

Attacks on Hezbollah using booby-trapped pagers raise questions about whether everyday electronics could present new dangers—and security hurdles—for air travelers.

Aviation authorities in Lebanon have banned travelers from boarding planes or checking luggage with pagers and walkie-talkies. No other countries have followed suit so far, and travelers can expect business as usual when they go through airport security.

[89th]

[bachophile]

soooo…. Did we kill him or not?

[bachophile]

Link to video

[LuFins Dad]

Which ol’ witch?

[bachophile]

Are u kidding?

[LuFins Dad]

@bachophile said in The Exploding Pagers:

Are u kidding?

I assume it was Nasrallah, then?

[bachophile]

Yup. It’s hard to minimize the magnitude of what happened. In one week, twenty years of Iranian planning, billions in support, was basically decapitated and erased.

[Mik]

Brilliant. I read the other day - may have posted it here - that Iran is growing increasingly uncomfortable with Russia and China and their economy and looking to improve relations with the West. Let the bastards rot until their murderous messianic dream collapses.

[George K]

@LuFins-Dad said in The Exploding Pagers:

@bachophile said in The Exploding Pagers:

Are u kidding?

I assume it was Nasrallah, then?