this post was submitted on 16 Oct 2024
83 points (86.7% liked)

World News

39032 readers
3106 users here now

A community for discussing events around the World

Rules:

Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.


Lemmy World Partners

News !news@lemmy.world

Politics !politics@lemmy.world

World Politics !globalpolitics@lemmy.world


Recommendations

For Firefox users, there is media bias / propaganda / fact check plugin.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/media-bias-fact-check/

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

BEIRUT, Oct 16 (Reuters) - The batteries inside the weaponised pagers that arrived in Lebanon at the start of the year, part of an Israeli plot to decimate Hezbollah, had powerfully deceptive features and an Achilles' heel.

The agents who built the pagers designed a battery that concealed a small but potent charge of plastic explosive and a novel detonator that was invisible to X-ray, according to a Lebanese source with first-hand knowledge of the pagers, and teardown photos of the battery pack seen by Reuters.

To overcome the weakness - the absence of a plausible backstory for the bulky new product - they created fake online stores, pages and posts that could deceive Hezbollah due diligence, a Reuters review of web archives shows.

The stealthy design of the pager bomb and the battery’s carefully constructed cover story, both described here for the first time, shed light on the execution of a years-long operation which has struck unprecedented blows against Israel's Iran-backed Lebanese foe and pushed the Middle East closer to a regional war.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] ShinkanTrain@lemmy.ml 56 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (13 children)

Bulky pager is a fun way to spin terrorism. Let me try.

How Al Qaeda's surprise itinerary shocked New Yorkers

[–] pandapoo@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (11 children)

I don't know if this can considered terrorism, the same way I don't consider car bombs driven into coalition FOBs in Iraq or Afghanistan, or roadside IEDs and VBIDs that killed soldier on patrol, as terrorism.

If you're targeting military personnel, it's not terrorism. But, if you're doing it in a way that unnecessarily causes collateral damage, too much collateral damage, etc., that's a war crime. Which I believe this was.

I can understand the argument that considers this terrorism, and I'm not putting down this flag saying that my understanding of it is right and yours is wrong. Just explaining my current view of the situation.

But at this point, I'm not sure it makes any difference. Israeli troops, and settlers, are regularly committing unquestionable acts of terrorism and war crimes on a daily basis, so what difference does it make classifying this one incident as terrorism, or just another war crime.

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 11 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (4 children)

It is textbook terrorism. Imagine being in the supermarket shopping for produce when suddenly the person standing next to you has their legs blown off... Would "terror" be a good description of how that would likely make someone feel?

It's just state-sponsored, which is why it was more sophisticated than what we're used to seeing from non-state actors. Which makes it even worse.

[–] ChairmanMeow@programming.dev -4 points 1 month ago (3 children)

Terrorism is more about the intent rather than the result. Did Israel intend to instill terror in the civilian population or did they genuinely try to target Hezbollah militants (and perhaps didn't care much about any civilian casualties)?

[–] PyroNeurosis@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 1 month ago

If the goal was military casualties, they'd have been better served by having Hezbollah mobilize its insurgents, by maybe massing on the borders in a very obvious show of force, then firing off the pagers once the militants were grouped and away from civilian populations.

But then they'd be on the back foot because the survivors would be already massed and coordinating in person, which would hamper their actual invasion.

[–] Madison420@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

Duh, yes they did. They admitted that much, try harder.

[–] technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Did Israel intend to instill terror in the civilian population

Yes. Absolutely yes. And the terror attack with pagers was just one part of the larger, ongoing terrorism.

load more comments (6 replies)
load more comments (7 replies)