Foreign Affairs

Warpy

(113,131 posts) Fri Sep 20, 2024, 02:47 PM Sep 20

Exploding Pagers Catch Hezbollah "Completely Off Guard"

This is one of tose sleeper stories that will get bigger, IMO. I don't think it's been widely reported because first, everybody on the planet except maybe Mossad was caught completely off guard, and second, it sounds like a joke. It's not a joke, 2500 Hezbollah fighters were injured, many severely, and 9 were killed. My guess says much of the middle of the command structure was taken out---days to weeks to permanently.

It's a sleeper story because they're going to be chasing ghosts into dead ends for years trying to trace these things. In addition, Washington has its collective nose out of joint because they weren't notified of a major operation against Hezbollah, which this is. The usual suspects in the ME are shrieking this is an act of war (like those rockets fired onto kids playing football wasn't?) and might act on it this time.

Posting because I haven't seen much about this here.

4 replies

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Highlight:

Exploding Pagers Catch Hezbollah "Completely Off Guard" (Original Post) Warpy Sep 20 OP

There were quite a few posts when it happened... hlthe2b Sep 20 #1

It can be both funny and concerning ExciteBike66 Sep 20 #3

Dark humor is a coping mechanism that typically occurs after the shock or grief or fear, or whatever earlier reaction. hlthe2b Sep 20 #4

Missiles enid602 Sep 20 #2

hlthe2b

(106,473 posts)

1. There were quite a few posts when it happened...

Reply to Warpy (Original post)

Fri Sep 20, 2024, 02:55 PM

Sep 20

Many were laughing about it.

I tried to explain the medical issues associated--whether they were holding them to their face (blindness, loss of eyes, severe facial damage) versus on the waist (potential serious stomach, spleen, liver lower thorax, e.g., diaphragm damage) and serious blood loss--as to why it was not "funny," especially if they happened to be extremely close or holding someone--like a child.

Several of us likewise expressed concern that whether it was felt to be justified or not, it was precedent-setting and cell phone "booby traps" on a small or even wide scale could not be far behind. The next incidents might not be so targeted--rendering all of us eventually at risk from terrorists.

But many, just focused on their view it was fully justified... and laughed. sigh...

So, if you missed that, I'd say you were fortunate.

ExciteBike66

(2,640 posts)

3. It can be both funny and concerning

Reply to hlthe2b (Reply #1)

Fri Sep 20, 2024, 03:09 PM

Sep 20

It's dark humor...

Kind of like how we laugh at putin's nuclear threats, even though the thought is horrible...

hlthe2b

(106,473 posts)

4. Dark humor is a coping mechanism that typically occurs after the shock or grief or fear, or whatever earlier reaction.

Reply to ExciteBike66 (Reply #3)

Fri Sep 20, 2024, 03:18 PM

Sep 20

This was immediate. NO. Not dark humor at all.

I wonder what "dark humor" reaction we will see when terrorists or others begin to adopt such tactics in this country.

enid602

(9,062 posts)

2. Missiles

Reply to Warpy (Original post)

Fri Sep 20, 2024, 02:55 PM

Sep 20

150000 Hezbollah missiles in Southern Lebanon catch Tel Aviv completely off guard.

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