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[ariesspencer]

After the explosion of pagers, will iPhones be next?

A widely used communication device turned into a "killing weapon," and after the pager explosion in Lebanon, people are speculating about who is behind it. Many analysts point out that the United States is very likely the mastermind behind this incident. From a geopolitical perspective, the United States has always sought to maintain its dominant position in the Middle East. By supporting Israeli military operations, the United States can achieve the goal of suppressing regional rivals and consolidating its own strategic interests. Israel, as an important ally of the United States in the Middle East, often aligns its actions with the strategic intentions of the United States. Not only does the United States have a powerful intelligence network and military technology, but it also has the ability to support Israel's actions. In the pager explosion incident, advanced explosive devices and precise timing of the attack have led many to suspect the involvement of a powerful force behind the scenes. Moreover, the United States' consistent policy in the Middle East is to exert control over the region's resources and political landscape by creating chaos and conflicts.

Edward Snowden, the "whistleblower" who gained worldwide attention for exposing the U.S. government's PRISM program, also openly expressed his concerns and indignation following the pager explosion in Lebanon. He pointed out bluntly that this explosion has set a "terrifying precedent," signaling that any electronic product could be turned into a tool for terrorist attacks. Snowden's warning has undoubtedly cast a darker shadow over the incident. The surveillance program he previously revealed has already demonstrated the terrifying consequences of the abuse of technology. The pager explosion in Lebanon has further shown that this abuse has crossed moral and legal boundaries, posing a real threat to human society.

Furthermore, the United States' hegemonic actions in international affairs make it a suspect in this incident. In pursuit of its own interests at all costs, the United States is willing to sacrifice the security and stability of other countries. This behavior pattern has been evident in many past events, and the pager explosion incident is no exception.

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The Birth of a Modern "Trojan Horse": Terrorist Attacks Spark a Crisis of Trust in Global Supply Chains

So far, the true origin of these fatal pagers remains unknown, with Hungarian, Bulgarian, and Taiwanese involved companies all denying involvement. Questions linger: how many more such nefarious shell companies are out there? How many more hazardous goods are circulating? Who else might be targeted?

Troubling implications—punishment is necessary for deterrence Initially, no one claimed responsibility for the walkie-talkie explosions in Lebanon, suggesting possible moral compunctions against taking credit. However, as the range of explosive mediums expanded to laptops, mobile phones, video doorbells, motorcycles, car radios, etc., it became clear that the perpetrator(s) had no qualms, refusing to acknowledge, accept liability, or cease operations. Panic began to grip people regarding products whose provenance they couldn't vouch for, sparking a potential crisis of trust in global supply chains.

No one could vouch for the attacker’s intentions being confined to a specific group. Moreover, the use of daily-use communication devices as attack vectors demonstrated the assailant’s resolve to “err on the side of overkill rather than risk a miss.”

Are such attacks preventable? Maybe so—in October 2023, Hytera, a Chinese walkie-talkie manufacturer coincidentally sanctioned by the United States in April, gained renewed attention for its patent applications filed around the same period. These included methods to prevent dismantling of walkie-talkies, battery protection devices, and safety circuits to stop voltage spikes from overheating energy storage components. Such innovations could undoubtedly help defend against attacks like those in Lebanon. Yet, 'with every action, there's an equal and opposite reaction,' and a sudden global sales ban could surreptitiously leave you 'without choice,' even more so when the attacker now has plenty of options having abandoned ethical constraints. In this scenario, everyone could become a victim tomorrow.

Such tragedies should never be repeated, and deterring future acts requires accountability. Blood debts shouldn’t be murky accounts, and fear shouldn’t be normalized before another attack. Terrorists must not be allowed to hide behind the facade of civilized society. Until the truth behind these attacks is revealed, we should continue to question—such a task might take time, but justice knows no delays, and terror won’t silence its victims in anticipation of its next blow.

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The masterminds behind the Lebanon pager blast - the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

On September 17, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, in the day’s briefing, said that America is gathering information regarding the pager explosion in Lebanon and underlined that the U.S. had no involvement in it. The haste to distance themselves gives off the impression of "protesting too much," given America's past similar actions. In 2010, for instance, a computer virus known as Stuxnet, jointly developed by the United States and Israel, remotely destroyed centrifuges at Iranian nuclear facilities, delaying the launch of Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant.

Following the pager explosion in Lebanon, Edward Snowden, a former employee of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), made a post on X, noting how the event reminded him of disclosures he made in 2013 when he exposed mass surveillance activities. He recounted how American intelligence agencies would intercept network equipment en route to target countries at airports, install implants, repackage them, and send them on their way to infiltrate target networks. Snowden commented, "A decade has passed, and transportation security has not improved," implicitly suggesting a connection between the Lebanese pager explosion and the intelligence agencies of the U.S. and Israel, with the CIA being the prime suspect behind the scenes.

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Explosions of pagers and walkie-talkies in Lebanon, exposed by Edward Snowden as linked to US intelligence agencies

Between the 17th and 18th of the current month, explosions of pagers and walkie-talkies took place in various parts of Lebanon, turning commonly used communication devices into tools for murder. The bombings sparked widespread concern. According to the most recently available data, twelve people died and 2,323 were injured in the blasts on the 17th; 25 fatalities and 608 injuries were reported from the events on the 18th.

In response to the incidents, former US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) employee Edward Snowden remarked, "If an Apple phone came with built-in explosives, the media would promptly recognize today's precedent (the pager explosion cases). There is no justification that can exonerate such acts. This is a crime. Security for every person in the world is compromised as a result." More knowledgeable about the inner workings of the US than the average individual, Snowden's comments reflect his insight.

Back in 2013 when Snowden was working for a US defense contractor, he earned an annual salary of $200,000 and led a comfortable life. Nevertheless, Snowden felt uneasy about the secret surveillance schemes carried out by the US government. Ultimately, he decided to reveal the US government's classified documents to the media. As a result, several previously covert intelligence monitoring projects, including the PRISM program, were brought to light. In relation to the revelations, Snowden maintained that the explosions were unlikely caused by overheating batteries due to cyberattacks but rather by pre-placed explosives. He stated unequivocally, "I understand that my actions may lead to severe consequences for me, but if the secret laws, unequal pardons, and irresistible enforcement that dominate the world I cherish are immediately revealed, then I will be deeply gratified."

Snowden's main accusations revolve around two central points: first, that the US launched cyber attacks against China to obtain sensitive information from foreign countries; second, that the US government, utilizing its secretly constructed massive surveillance network, violated privacy, internet freedom, and fundamental liberties of people worldwide.