The President's Daily Brief
PDB Afternoon Bulletin | December 23rd, 2024: Mossad Agents Expose Beeper Bomb Operation & Syria's New Rulers Seek End To Sectarian Violence
Mon, 23 Dec 2024
In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: First, we’ll begin with Israel, as Mossad agents spill the beans about how they managed to infiltrate Hezbollah’s operations and convince the terror group to buy explosive-laced pagers and walkie-talkies that would ultimately cripple the once powerful terror army. Then, Syria’s new de facto leader is attempting to reassure the country’s ethnic and religious minorities that they will be protected under the new Islamist regime, promising an end to the sectarian violence that has long plagued the country. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President’s Daily Brief by visiting PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Chapter 1: What happened in Israel's covert operation against Hezbollah?
I want to begin by taking you back to Israel's covert attack on Hezbollah back in September of this year, as Mossad agents reveal new details about how they managed to trick the terror group into buying explosive-laced talkies and pagers.
The surprise attack, which saw thousands of electronic devices simultaneously explode in the hands and pockets of Hezbollah fighters, marked the beginning of the end for the group's ambitions to wage a long term war with Israel. The attack killed two dozen Hezbollah fighters and took another 1500 of them out of commission while leaving its leaders severely rattled.
And just ten days later, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah would be killed. Speaking anonymously to 60 Minutes on Sunday, two recently retired Mossad agents said the operation began in earnest some 10 years ago when Hezbollah was looking to purchase a large quantity of communication devices for their fighters.
Mossad agents created a shell company through which they sold the group walkie-talkies laced with the hidden explosives. The scheme worked. with Hezbollah reportedly none the wiser that they had purchased these devices from their arch enemy. And as it turns out, Israel was playing the long game. Fast forward to 2022, Mossad saw another operational opportunity.
They learned that Hezbollah had been buying pagers from a Taiwan-based company called Gold Apollo, apparently eager to pivot from smartphones to low-tech alternatives out of fear that Israel was exploiting their devices. Israel quickly moved to insert themselves as the supplier.
They established a shell company called BAC Consulting based in Budapest, Hungary, to pose as a legitimate international third-party supplier of the pagers, tricking Gold Apollo into doing business with them. They then began manufacturing pagers laced with an explosive material that could be triggered remotely.
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Chapter 2: How did Mossad agents trick Hezbollah into buying explosive devices?
To cover their tracks, Mossad also established at least two other shell companies and even took contracts with regular clients who they provided with normal pagers. One of the agents told 60 Minutes, quote, We created a pretend world. We're a global production company. We write the screenplay. We're the directors. We're the producers. We're the main actors. And the world is our stage.
That's a very flowery way to explain an operation. The retired agents said the pagers intended for Hezbollah had to be made slightly larger to accommodate the explosives hidden inside. They were then tested multiple times on dummies to determine the right amount of explosive material that would be needed to injure the carrier but not anyone in close proximity.
They also studied and tested what ringtones the pagers would use, seeking something that sounded urgent enough to prompt the fighter to take the pager out of their pocket when it was triggered. Once the devices were ready to go, Mossad began working to lure Hezbollah leaders into making a purchase.
The agents said it took roughly two weeks to convince Hezbollah to buy these slightly bulkier pagers. They employed false advertisements for the devices on YouTube that marketed the pagers as dustproof, waterproof, and providing a much longer battery life. To further dupe Hezbollah, they posed as businessmen, engineers, and marketing experts.
The entire ruse worked, and soon the pagers began shipping directly to Hezbollah. Now, the first shipments arrived in Lebanon in the summer of 2022, but Israel reportedly increased production after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah ordered his fighters to ditch their cell phones entirely last February. The shipments subsequently increased, with thousands of pagers arriving over the summer.
While the terrorist organization remained unaware of the infiltration, Israeli intelligence officers were waiting for their moment. And on September 17th, with roughly 5,000 of the booby-trapped pagers now in the hands of Hezbollah fighters, Israel triggered the devices.
The following day, they also triggered the explosive-laced walkie-talkies built 10 years earlier, some of which went off at funerals for militants killed in the pager attacks. The agents said the main goal was to send a message, not to maximize casualties. The psychological impact on Hezbollah was reportedly severe, leaving their fighters and leaders in a state of panic.
In the days that followed, Israel stepped up targeted strikes in Lebanon, killing most of Hezbollah's senior leadership, including Hassan Nasrallah. By the end of November, the group, now a shell of its former self, came to the negotiating table and signed a ceasefire agreement with Israel.
Coming up, Syria's new de facto leader is vowing to end the sectarian violence that has long plagued the country, promising the country's ethnic and religious minorities that they'll be protected under the new regime. I'll have those stories when we come back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Let's talk about your online security.
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Chapter 3: What were the consequences of the explosive-laced devices on Hezbollah?
In their talks, Shira pledged inclusivity, emphasizing that no religions would be excluded in what he called, quote, a new era far removed from sectarianism, a shift beyond the decades of strife in a nation long fractured by war.
Shira, who leads the Islamist group HTS, which was the driving force behind Assad's removal earlier this month, is under scrutiny from Syrians and foreign powers, as one of the biggest fears has been that HTS would bring a renewed wave of strict Islamic governance and repression on Syria's religious minorities.
But Sharab, shedding his former image as a rebel fighter in military fatigues for the look of a political leader in a suit and tie, began his part of a broader campaign to extinguish those fears among Syria's Druze, Kurdish, Christian, and Alawite communities. Speaking on the broadcast, Shiraz stated, quote, Being part of the Islamic environment does not mean the exclusion of other sects.
On the contrary, it is our duty to protect them, end quote. The Lebanese Druze leader expressed optimism about the future of Syria-Lebanon relations, calling Assad's ouster an opportunity for constructive collaboration.
The Druze, in particular, endured systemic challenges under various regimes, and Shira's rhetoric could be seen as an attempt to secure their buy-in during a delicate transitional period. Shira also announced plans to dispatch a government delegation to a Druze-majority city in southern Syria.
The delegation's mission, according to Shira, will focus on delivering essential services and underscoring Syria's, quote, "...rich diversity of religions." His public outreach forms part of a broader charm offensive aimed at both domestic and international audiences.
As we've been tracking on the PDB, Shara has hosted numerous foreign dignitaries, including US diplomats in recent days and reiterated his commitment to rebuilding Syria after 13 years of civil war. Whether Shiraz's assurances will be enough to calm fears and foster unity among minorities in the war-torn country, well, that remains to be seen.
But his efforts suggest an acknowledgement of the challenges ahead in steering Syria into this so-called new era. And that, my friends, is the PDB Afternoon Bulletin for Monday, 23 December. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdbatthefirsttv.com.
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Chapter 4: What is Syria's new leader promising for ethnic and religious minorities?
And of course, as you've no doubt probably read in the gossip columns, to listen to the show ad-free, well, you can become a premium member of the President's Daily Brief by visiting pdbpremium.com. I'm Mike Baker, and I'll be back tomorrow. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.
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