On Sunday, CBS News journalist Lesley Stahl released an interview on “60 Minutes” with two now-retired Israeli Mossad agents about how last fall’s exploding pagers were developed and deployed. Both agents’ identities were carefully concealed for obvious reasons.
On Sept. 17, after Israel and the terrorist organization Hezbollah had been in an escalating war for nearly a year, the Israeli spy agency Mossad launched one of the most daring and sophisticated deceptions in the history of counterintelligence: the pager plot, a modern take on the Trojan horse. Mossad created a bomb in a pocket – and tricked Hezbollah fighters into unwittingly wearing these devices on their bodies.
The repercussions of the plot have been dramatic, including aiding in the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, the weakening of Iran, and the decimating of the target of the plot: Hezbollah.
We spoke with two recently retired senior Mossad agents with leading roles in the operation. To hide their identities, we agreed they could wear a mask and have their voices altered. We started with Michael, not his real name.
“Michael” was a case officer and commanded a similar operation to weaponize walkie-talkies also used by the terror group. One part of his description was interesting:
Lesley Stahl: As I understand it, these walkie-talkies went into a tactical vest that a soldier would put on, and then this would go in the pocket.
Michael: Correct.
Lesley Stahl: Near the heart.
Michael: Yes.
Lesley Stahl: So Israel sold this device to Hezbollah. Hezbollah paid for the– this weapon that was to be used against them.
Michael: They got a good price.
They may have gotten a good price initially on the purchase of these devices, although there was clearly another, rather higher price to be paid later.
One of the former Mossad agents, “Gabriel,” described the process in detail:
The Mossad, as the linked article details, went to lengths to develop a device that would only target the specific goblin carrying the pager. This is akin to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) deploying “roof-knockers” to warn people in a building to clear out before the building is leveled. Whatever the development process, it worked; Hezbollah fighters and leaders were looking at their pagers, walkie-talkies, and phones and seeing grenades.
Previously on RedState: Exploding Hezbollah Pagers Triggered by Spoofed Message From Hezbollah Leaders
REPORT: Mossad Intercepted Hezbollah Pager Shipment, Loaded Them With Explosives
But here’s the real kicker:
Lesley Stahl: In terms of the kind of warfare that was conducted with the walkie-talkies and the pagers, would you call it a psychological war?
Michael: The day after the pagers exploded, people were afraid to turn on the air conditioners in Lebanon because they were afraid that they would explode. So there was– there is real fear.
Lesley Stahl: Was that an intention?
Michael: 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.
This kind of operation does take out specific individuals, specific Hezbollah fighters and leaders, and that’s always worth doing, every day and twice on Sunday. But there’s much more to it than that. It’s not just the operation itself; it is the planning, the complex web of vendors and resellers, and the development process, all of which are gradually (and very likely intentionally) made public. There’s a reason for that. This is, first and foremost, a psychological operation.
See Related: Bombshell Report: Israel Didn’t Hack Hezbollah Pagers — It Made Them As Part of Complex Ruse
While the entire “Pager go BOOM” operation was successful in taking some Hezbollah members off the board, the message was not just that. The message sent to Hezbollah and, in concatenation, to Hamas, ISIS, Al Qaeda, and other terrorist groups was this:
“Wherever you are, wherever you hide, we can find you, and if we can find you, we can hit you. You aren’t safe in your homes, you aren’t safe on the streets, and you aren’t safe in your caves. Your communications are compromised. Your technology can be co-opted. And sooner or later, we will hit you.”
This is one after-effect of years of attacks, culminating with the Oct 7th atrocities, that Hamas, Hezbollah, and like groups may not have thought through. Israel has removed the gloves, and they are hitting back.
