TRT World – September 18, 2024
How Israel managed to explode devices in attack on Hezbollah
Experts discuss the possible ways Israeli operatives could have intercepted the devices en route to Lebanon and booby-trapped them for the shock attacks.
BY Murat Sofuoglu
An unprecedented strike on Hezbollah that saw hundreds of paging devices used by the Lebanon-based armed group exploding and killing at least 37 people has set the cat among the pigeons over the alleged involvement of Israel in the apparent cyber attack.
At least two of those killed are children, while the number of injured is estimated to be around 2,800, Lebanon's Health Minister Firass Abiad said on Wednesday.
Barely a few hours later, hundreds of walkie-talkies began exploding across Lebanon, killing at least 20 people and injuring 450 more people according to Lebanese authorities.
Though there is no official word from Israel on the two incidents, in line with its policy of total silence on such controversial events, Hezbollah has squarely blamed Tel Aviv for the attack on its cadres.
An Israeli news website claimed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved the kill.
Western media analysts have used words like “incredible”, “extraordinary”, and “never been anything like this” to describe what happened in Lebanon but refrained from discussing Israel’s involvement or the inherent message in the attack, not only to Tel Aviv’s archenemy Hezbollah but also to other opponents.
Experts, however, point to the fact that many top tech companies are run by former employees of Israel’s notorious 8200 cyber unit and feel that the pager attack might be a chilling message that Tel Aviv is breathing down the neck of those with anti-Zionist views.
Israel has a long history of targeting its opponents through remote operations, ranging from intricate cyberattacks to remote-controlled machine guns targeting leaders in drive-by shootings.
Interception theory
Dr Alper Ozbilen, an academic of electronic engineering and the chairman of InterProbe Information Technology, an Ankara-based company specialising in cyber security, has different theories to explain how Israel might have simultaneously launched the attack, which “contains many firsts in its context”.
“Among different possibilities, I believe the most probable theory is that an intelligence unit, which is most likely part of the Israeli state, had received an espionage input on a shipment of pagers routed to Lebanon for Hezbollah members,” Ozbilen tells TRT World.
“Israelis apparently wanted to turn this espionage input into an opportunity to manipulate these devices.”
Onur Aktas, the former head of the Turkish National Cyber Security Center and founder of the cyber security company S4E, concurs.
“This seems to be a supply chain attack,” Aktas tells TRT World, referring to possible Israeli interception of the shipment to Hezbollah.
According to media reports, the compromised pagers were made by Gold Apollo, a Taiwanese company. Taiwan has not been largely recognised as a state across the globe.
The company’s founder and chairperson, Hsu Ching-kuang, however, deniedﾠthat the AR-924 modelﾠpagers were made in Taiwan, claiming that they were designed and made by a Budapest-based distributor called BAC Consulting KFT.
If the pagers came from Hungary, they were shipped through numerous ports in different countries along the Mediterranean coast and kept in different depots until reaching their final destination in Lebanon.
Both Ozbilen and Aktas say that Israeli operatives might have intervened in this transportation process to place explosive devices inside the pagers.
According to Ozbilen, Israelis most likely placed a very small amount of RDX and C4 explosives inside these devices.
“Then, possibly, the tasked unit set up a detonating mechanism inside these devices that could explode when triggered by a central system,” he adds.
In some sense, the mode of attack on the pagers is similar to the 1996 explosion of a booby-trapped mobile phone used by Yahya Ayyash, Hamas’s then-chief bombmaker and the leader of the Qassam Brigades’s West Bank branch, according to Ozbilen. Ayyash was killed in Gaza.
Since losing some leading members due to mobile phone tracking and explosions, both Hamas and Hezbollah stopped using smartphones and turned to older technologies like pagers, which do not allow pinpointing their exact location, says Ozbilen.
“But they were still hunted by Israel,” he adds.
Ozbilen does not also rule out the possibility of placing not only a software-activated bomb device with a battery inside the pagers, but also a virtual private server (VPS) and pinpoint location finder.
Aktas also says that “no one really knows what was inside these devices”.
“There could even be cameras inside”, and Israeli operatives might have used these to track Hezbollah fighters.
Such remote attacks usually involve what is known as the ‘kill switch’ – a pre-installed mechanism that allows switching off or remote detonation of multiple devices.
Exploding battery theory
Another possible explanation for the beeper attack is a battery explosion theory, according to both Ozbilen and Aktas.
“Israelis might have heated up the batteries of the pagers using a software to trigger the explosions,” Aktas tells TRT World.
“But the batteries of the pagers are too small, which can not really lead to the size of explosions we have seen in different video records,” he adds.
According to a Hezbollah official,ﾠsome Lebanese users said that their pagers heated up and as a result, they disposed of the devices prior to their explosions.
Both Aktas and Ozbilen are unsure about the feasibility of such a scenario.
“...When I checked the videos of the explosions…I came to the conclusion that the size of these batteries can not produce such big bursts,” says Aktas.
They, however, agree that the attacks are unprecedented in scale, intended to “corner people in a psychological deadlock”, according to Ozliben.
“This is an attack that intimidates not only the people it [Israel] fights on the ground but also its critics and activists who oppose Israel's actions in the international arena.”
Aktas also sees a similar message.
“If Israel can do this to the pagers, people around the world might start wondering what Israel can do to their trains, planes, phones and cars,” he adds.
Murat Sofuoglu is a staff writer at TRT World.
https://www.trtworld.com/magazine/did-israel-intercept-pagers-to-plant-explosives-for-attack-on-hezbollah-18209813
Al Mayadeen – September 19, 2024
Sayyed Nasrallah challenges Netanyahu to return settlers to North
Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah underlines that the Israeli occupation's goals will falter no matter the course of action it takes.
Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Wednesday offered his condolences to the families of those martyred or wounded in the deadly attack involving pagers rigged by the Israeli occupation. Sayyed Nasrallah referred to the incident as a "major terrorist operation, an act of genocide and massacre," amounting to a "declaration of war."
The attack, which involved the detonation of thousands of pagers, was conducted "without regard for any regulations or morals," according to Sayyed Nasrallah. Over two days, the Israeli enemy sought to kill more than 5,000 people "in two minutes without regard for anything," he said. He further condemned the indifference shown by the attackers toward the civilian locations where many of the individuals carrying the devices were present.
The Resistance leader stressed that the aggression resulted in "dozens of martyrs, including women and children," with thousands more wounded. "The real scale of the aggression will show with time," Sayyed Nasrallah underlined.
In his remarks, the Hezbollah chief highlighted the meticulous planning of the attack, explaining that the enemy had rigged 4,000 pagers with the clear intent of killing 4,000 people in a single minute. Despite the severity of the attack, many injuries were fortunately minor, with a number of pagers out of service or not distributed at all at the time of the explosion, as he revealed.
Sayyed Nasrallah described the assault as a "grand terrorist operation" and addressed the second attack that saw the Israeli occupation detonating thousands of handheld radio receivers, or walkie-talkies, labeling it a second attempt by the Israeli occupation to kill thousands. He expressed gratitude for the efforts made by the people to mitigate the severity of the injuries.
"We have formed investigative committees and are closely examining all possible scenarios, hypotheses, and possibilities," Sayyed Nasrallah said. He added that the investigation will scrutinize every aspect of the attack, from the factory where the devices were produced to how they ended up in the hands of the users, with the end goal of reaching a definitive conclusion.
"There is no doubt that we were subjected to a major blow on a security and humanitarian level that is unprecedented in the history of our Resistance," he said. "We were dealt a major blow, but that is war. We acknowledge that the enemy has technological supremacy, especially as it is backed by the United States and the collective West."
"We will grow more steadfast and determined to overcome all perils, and it is of great importance that such blows do not undermine our will," he said. He also praised the effectiveness of the Lebanese front in pressuring the Israeli occupation, as evidenced by its recent actions and statements.
Sayyed Nasrallah continued by emphasizing the effectiveness of the Northern Front. "The enemy labeling the situation in the north as the first historic defeat for 'Israel' is further evidence of our front's effectiveness," he declared. Moreover, he noted that the mobilization of Israeli forces in the north highlights the "grave threat it faces on this front," which he described as one of the most important fronts in the ongoing regional war of attrition.
"The enemy has admitted to losing the North, forcing [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu and [Security Minister Yoav] Gallant to find a solution to the predicament constituted by the northern front," Sayyed Nasrallah added, underscoring the front's role in the ongoing war of attrition. According to the Resistance leader, this front serves as "one of the most important trump cards in the hands of the Palestinian Resistance in the negotiations to halt the aggression on Gaza."
Nasrallah also revealed that Hezbollah had faced "paramount pressures and numerous threats" aimed at halting operations on the northern front, with the detonation of communication devices over the span of Tuesday and Wednesday being a part of these efforts. "We were informed through numerous official and unofficial channels on Tuesday of the need to stop supporting Gaza and firing into 'Israel' from the north," he stated. However, he affirmed Hezbollah's resolve, saying, "We must not succumb to these threats nor halt our support for Gaza."
The Hezbollah leader also warned that the Israeli occupation's actions would further exacerbate the displacement of settlers from the north and reduce the possibility of their return. "What you are doing will increase the displacement of your displaced settlers from the north and will bar the opportunity of their return," he warned. He also reaffirmed Hezbollah's commitment to supporting Gaza, the West Bank, and the Palestinian people, declaring that the Resistance "will ensure that the enemy fails to achieve its goals."
Nasrallah praised the high spirits and steadfastness of those wounded in the Tuesday and Wednesday attacks, emphasizing their resolve to return to the battlefield. He also noted that the Israeli occupation had aimed to "destroy the Resistance's infrastructure and affect as many leaders as possible while causing paramount chaos and weakness, which it failed to achieve."
Israeli leadership leading it to abyss
Addressing the broader strategy of Israeli leadership, Sayyed Nasrallah questioned Netanyahu's ability to resolve the displacement crisis in the north, stating, "Can Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu return the settlers to the north? We are taking this on as a challenge knowing full well they can't, regardless of the course of action they take."
He pointed out that the only way the enemy could return the displaced settlers would be to halt the aggression on Gaza and the occupied West Bank. Sayyed Nasrallah vowed that the Lebanese front would not cease its operations until the aggression ends, "regardless of the prospective sacrifices and repercussions."
Sayyed Nasrallah then criticized Israeli military strategy, particularly the suggestion by the northern command to establish a security belt. "The foolish commander of the northern command's suggestion to establish a security belt is making us hope they do go ahead with it so that their tanks would be easier to hit," he remarked. He added that Hezbollah was "thoroughly looking for their tanks" and welcomed any such movement, viewing it as a "golden, historical opportunity" to strike.
"If the enemy establishes a security belt, it must understand that it will be ambushed and the zone will turn into a swamp and a quagmire in which it will be mired," Nasrallah warned. "The retaliation the Israelis will face will remain a well-kept secret within our closed circles, and they will hear nothing of it until the time comes."
Sayyed Nasrallah criticized the leadership of Netanyahu and Gallant, accusing them of "egoistical, chaotic, and foolish leadership" that would "lead the occupation into the abyss and the collapse of the third tempele"
The Resistance leader pledged that the Israeli occupation would face a resounding act of retaliation in both predictable and unforeseeable manners. "The response will be just and perplexing."
Anadolu Agency – September 18, 2024
US, Israel coordinated on device explosion attacks in Lebanon: Report
The U.S. and Israel coordinated regarding the detonation of wireless communication devices used by the Lebanese group Hezbollah, despite Washington's rejections, a report said Thursday.
Explosions of thousands of pager and Icom wireless devices in several areas of Lebanon on Tuesday and Wednesdayﾠresulted in the deaths of 37 people and injuries to more than 3,250.
According to KAN, the official Israeli broadcasting channel, there was coordination between Israel and the U.S. concerning the explosions that rocked Lebanon.
The broadcaster reported that Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant had two telephone conversations with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in the last 24 hours.
"The first call between Gallant and Austin took place on Tuesday, just minutes before the first wave of pager device explosions in Lebanon,” said KAN. "The second call occurred before the second wave of explosions.”
The U.S., however, has denied involvement in the explosions. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, during a news conference in Cairo, asserted that Washington had no prior knowledge of the explosions and was not involved.
The White House also denied having any role in a spate of explosive attacks in Lebanon that targeted thousands of communication devices for two straight days.
National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said the U.S. was "not involved in yesterday's incidents or today's in any way."
No party has claimed responsibility, but the attacks have again raised the specter of an all-out war between Hezbollah and Israel. Many of the devices, which included pagers and walkie-talkies, were used by members of Hezbollah, which operates as both a paramilitary and political group with vast social services in Lebanon.
It is "too soon to know what these incidents are going to mean to the already high tensions between Israel and Hezbollah up at that border," said Kirby.
"All I can tell you is, as recently as a couple of days ago, Amos Hochstein, our envoy, was in the region having discussions to do everything we can from a diplomatic perspective to prevent those tensions from escalating into all-out conflict," he added.
The explosions came amid an exchange of cross-border attacks between Hezbollah and Israel against the backdrop of a brutal Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip which has killed nearly 41,300 victims, mostly women and children, following a cross-border attack on Israel by the Palestinian group, Hamas, on Oct. 7 last year.
Daily Sabah – September 18, 2024
New intelligence technologies emerge: Israel’s pager attack on Hezbollah
by DR. İbrahim Karataş
Israel’s cyber attack on Hezbollah marks a new era in warfare, blending intelligence with deadly technology
The world is discussing Israel’s cyber-attack on Hezbollah members, in which more than 37 people were killed while leaving 3,000 people injured. Such a unique attack is probably the first in warfare as it affected thousands of people. It is also a good example of how electronic devices can be converted into bombs. What is not surprising is that the perpetrator is Israel, which is far ahead of many countries in cyber-attacks and theft. Above all, it shows the capabilities of Israel’s intelligence service which continuously seeks crafty ways to eliminate its enemies. Several conclusions can be reached from the attack.
Firstly, we should clarify that it is an intelligence operation rather than a cyber-attack. News reports reveal that Israeli spies implanted 2 ounces (56.7 grams) of an explosive called PETN into pagers while the devices were being assembled in a factory located in Taiwan. There seems to be collaboration between the Israelis and the device producers as implantation would not be possible without a third party’s assistance. The fact that the device brand (Gold Apollo) is allegedly owned by an American or a European company shows that the accomplices were of Western origin.
We should also remember that a large amount of ammonium nitrate stored in Beirut port exploded in 2020, causing more than 200 deaths. Since this substance is used as bomb material, it is highly likely that the explosion was perpetrated again by a secret Israeli attack. Therefore, both attacks show that Israel is monitoring what Hezbollah buys and destroying them with premeditated measures.
Another detail is that employees of the American University Medical Center in Beirut received an email, noting that their old pagers would be replaced with new ones. Thus, the U.S. got involved in the attack or they were informed for their safety long before. Unfortunately, the U.S. is complicit in almost every Israeli attack through its relentless support. We can believe that any Israeli attack is conducted with American assistance.
On the other hand, Hezbollah’s being the target does not change our views about this group. It is an Iranian proxy, which kills innocent people (see what they did in Syria), thus being the victim does not change it's being a bloody organization. In addition, Israel’s attack amplifies our view that it is a terrorist state and has no limits in committing crimes. We are already eye-witnessing the genocide in Gaza where Israeli terrorism has killed more than 41,000 people within less than a year. The genocide continues and the perpetrators look for new opportunities to expand it into neighboring states.
Meanwhile, there are lessons learned from the Israeli attack on Hezbollah via pagers. Other intelligence services and armies now have the chance to learn what the Israeli security forces are capable of. Probably, governments will take precautions in order not to incur similar cyber-attacks since everyone, from ordinary citizens to top officials, are convinced that electronic devices, particularly mobile phones and computers, have the potential to kill or wound people via remote commands. Therefore, the latest attack will compel officials to protect their people and electronic assets including critical ones such as aircraft, missiles and ships. Hence, it can be said that evil can turn into goodness provided that precautions are taken. In addition, western governments' silence about the attack and the pro-Israeli stance of their media should be noticed. As expected, their news reports refrained from mentioning Israel being the perpetrator. They also ignored civilian damage and with an Islamophobic and xenophobic tone wrote as if all those targeted were Hezbollah members. Whereas, if Hezbollah had attacked Israel with the same method, their stories would be full of lament, almost crying for the victims.
Overall, Israel’s cyber attack on Hezbollah will be remembered in the upcoming years due to its capacity to change the course of fighting. For sure, armies, and even terrorist groups, will be inspired by the Sept. 17 pager attack whether for benign or malign purposes. Finally, as long as the conflict continues, we may witness new Israeli tactics that surprise us.
Yeni Safak – September 18, 2024
Bombs in Our Pockets: Will We Submit?
Ersin Çelik
We can’t simply label the explosions of beepers in Lebanon as "cyberattacks." Various horrifying scenarios will undoubtedly be written about Israel's unimaginable methods. According to recent news from American media and expert opinions on social media, the shocking impact of the beepers exploding on Hezbollah members is spreading across the globe exactly as Israel intended.
The target wasn’t just Hezbollah, as with the genocide suffered by Gazans over the past 12 months. Israel is crossing a new threshold with every attack. Having previously secured immunity after October 7, it now seems to be donning the armor of inviolability. I frequently emphasize that Israel uses social media platforms as a highly effective weapon to their maximum advantage.
After a terrorist attack, states engage in various forms of cover-up to prevent chaos and undermine the propaganda impact of terrorist organizations. Terrorist groups aim to psychologically devastate societies and create insecurity by undermining state authority. This is known as "submission." The bloody images released after attacks serve this purpose. In Türkiye, the bloody actions by PKK and ISIS in 2015 had a noticeable impact on the public. For instance, on the evening of July 15, as the coup plotters seized bridges, misleading information about soldiers taking measures against ISIS attacks circulated on social media. This misleading and “persuasive” terrorism-supported manipulation was countered by Yeni Şafak's announcement at 10:37 PM that FETÖ was behind the coup attempt.
Returning to Israel's simultaneous detonations of bombs placed in beepers used by over 3,000 Hezbollah members, this represents a high-level terrorist attack.
Aside from its asymmetry and uniqueness, Israel has moved into a new phase of enforcing its rule through various methods of killing with the beeper attacks in Lebanon, following its assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in the most secure building in Tehran. The placement of explosives ranging from 30 to 60 grams inside these devices and their factory-guaranteed use highlight security vulnerabilities for both Hezbollah and its patron Iran. However, the addition of network keys to the devices and the manner in which bombs explode in response to messages that seem to come from leadership could only be imagined in science fiction films. The simultaneous, real-time attacks we are witnessing are not a film, a script, or fiction. As I write this, the explosion of radios used by Hezbollah members in southern Lebanon shows that Israel has started its display of power. What’s next? Tablets, laptops, and desktop computers?
Much like how America dropped atomic bombs on Japan three days apart in 1945. Initially, during World War II, America successfully tested its first atomic bomb, named 'Trinity,' in the New Mexico desert. Twenty days later, on August 6, 1945, the "Little Boy" bomb, containing 64 kilograms of uranium-235, was dropped on Hiroshima, causing the death of 140,000 people. Three days after Hiroshima, on August 9, 1945, the U.S. dropped the "Fat Man" bomb on Nagasaki, killing 74,000 people in seconds and destroying one-third of the city’s buildings. These two attacks are recorded as the first and only nuclear attacks in warfare. The world changed instantly. Both warring and neutral states, along with their populations, were brought to their knees by the atomic bomb. The devastating potential of America’s weapon became evident. Russia’s test of the 'Tsar Bomba' hydrogen bomb in 1961 shocked America. The decision by the Cold War superpowers to halt nuclear weapons development was a significant assurance for humanity.
But how will today's technology be controlled? New-generation warfare tactics are being developed with unprecedented methods and tested on people. It is now common knowledge that Israel has used artificial intelligence technology to target civilians in Gaza. Information from billions of users on WhatsApp revealed that many Hamas members were pinpointed for targeted attacks in May.
Before dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, America studied Japanese life and habits to determine the best time when they would be most exposed and set the attack for 8:15 AM. They collected data for maximum impact. Israel, on the other hand, is systematizing genocide through its 'Lavender' software, organizing mass assassinations with zero fieldwork.
Yesterday, the world grappled with the anxiety of one question: Could cell phones be detonated like beepers? Opinions vary. Some experts claim it’s impossible, stating that real bombs were placed inside the devices. Ümit Sanlav, a communications and cybersecurity researcher who spoke to Yeni Şafak, suggests that our phone batteries could be heated remotely or via spyware to be made ready for explosion. Dr. Mehmet Nurullah Ateş, an expert in lithium batteries, also mentioned in an interview with our website that it is not an impossible scenario.
So, whether by various interventions or not, we carry “bombs” under the guidance of algorithms in our pockets. Whether we will submit, bow to Israel, or willingly surrender to advancing technological tools remains in humanity's hands. While cell phones may not explode in our faces like beepers while watching videos on TikTok, they could be tasked with guiding thousands of users to the site of bombs with a single notification. Are we aware of this?
https://www.yenisafak.com/en/columns/ersin-celik/bombs-in-our-pockets-will-we-submit-3691225
TRT World – September 19, 2024
Türkiye reviews communication device security following Lebanon blasts
Ankara has implemented additional measures for cases where third parties are involved in the procurement or production of devices, a Turkish official said.
Following the deadly blasts in Lebanon, a Turkish defence ministry official announced on Thursday that Türkiye is reassessing its measures to secure the communication devices used by its armed forces. / Photo: AA Archive
Türkiye is reviewing its measures to secure the communication devices used by its armed forces after the deadly blasts in Lebanon, a Turkish defence ministry official said on Thursday.
Hand-held radios used by armed group Hezbollah detonated on Wednesday across Lebanon's south in the country's deadliest day since cross-border fighting erupted between the group and Israel nearly a year ago, stoking tensions after similar explosions of the militants' pagers the day before.
The blasts appeared to throw Hezbollah, Iran's most powerful proxy in the Middle East, into disarray, and occurred alongside Israel's 11-month-old onslaught on Palestine's Gaza and heightened fears of an escalation in the region.
Türkiye's military exclusively uses domestically-produced equipment but Ankara had additional control mechanisms in place if a third party is involved in procurement or production of devices, the Turkish official noted.
"Whether in the operations we carry out, the ongoing war in Ukraine, and as with the Lebanon example, measures are reviewed and new measures are being developed as part of the lessons learned following each development," the official said.
"In the context of this incident, we as the Defence Ministry are carrying out the necessary examinations," the person added, without providing further detail.
In Tuesday's explosions, sources said Israeli spies remotely detonated explosives they planted in a Hezbollah order of 5,000 pagers before they entered the country.
The unprecedented attacks have prompted concerns over cyber-security around the region.
Iraq's national security council said on Wednesday it would take preventive measures against any possible breach from electronic imports, adding that intensive security checks will be implemented on imports along with stronger border checks.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Thursday told Anadolu news agency that establishing an independent agency for cyber-security specifically was on the government's agenda after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan voiced a necessity for it, and added it would be formed "very soon".
Does the Israeli and US War on Palestine have another Name than Insanity?
Dr. Mahboob A. Khawaja, PhD.
How to Distinguish between Moral Beings and Beasts of War?
Human beings as a speci were created by God on the best “possible structure of creation”, as most intelligent moral beings on this earth given a choice of being righteous versus evil mongering and therefore, recognized by our character and actions. Do the Israeli and American war planners know the consequences of their evil-mongering? Are they waging the war of insanity against the innocent people of Gaza and West Bank-Palestine as a revulsion against the phenomenon of change to avert their own end of history and inundation? If Israel and the US leaders ever claimed any moral and intellectual values, surely they are misinformed and delusional?
“Hell on Earth” – warns the conscientious global community from all spectrum of reason with more than 41,000 civilian massacred, more than 91, 355 injured, more than 16,000 children and women still buried under rubble and unaccounted for, and the rest of humanity under continuous bombardment by the Israeli warmachines supported and aided by the US supplied weapons of mass destruction. Even the hospitals, places of worship, schools, graveyards and safe zones are not spared by the Israeli war agenda. Israeli leaders reportedly have dropped more than four equal to Hiroshima nuclear bombs on Gaza. International observers spell out the tragic events: words cannot describe the humanitarian calamities and sufferings of the besieged people of Gaza and the West Bank.
Are the global institutions of peace, security and conflict management fast becoming obsolete in a real crisis situation? And global humanity is captive of the US-Israel’s intransigence and plans never experienced in recent times. History is repeating the cruel insanity - the cursed evil of egoistic power - the unstoppable insanity of the war continues unabated. The professed animosity is against Islam and Israel spearheads the killings of Muslims throughout Palestine to end the freedom movement for an independent State of Palestine.
Evil is inseparable from political agenda. When sinisterism and unacknowledged motives conduct the affairs of life, the people, societies and policy makers become abnormal, disfigured and lose sense of rational direction. President Biden and Secretary Blinken continued to deceive the humanity of a ceasefire deal since May, 24 except it was a delaying tactic to complete the crimes against humanity and open Gaza to new Israeli settlers. It was PM Netanyahu and Israel not sure of a ceasefire and peace in the region. Thousands of concerned Israeli citizens march daily and hold continuous night vigils in Tel Aviv to demand peace, the resignation of Netanyahu and an immediate ceasefire for the safe return of 100 or so hostages. Netanyahu’s political goal was to flatten Gaza and he has done it without any challenge. The cycle of dreadful humanitarian crises unfolding in Gaza and across Palestine is baffling as if global humanity and institutions do not exist for other than Americans and Israel allied Europeans.The war scenario emboldens Netanyahu‘s political absolutism – an egoistic leader with a controversial profile will do his utmost to pursue his unbridled ambition whether by manipulation, violence, or new conflicts. The current paradigm links directly to PM Netanyahu’s affiliation with extreme Jewish Ultra Nationalists to deny the Palestinian people their right to exist as an independent State and to dismantle the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Please see: “Al-Aqsa Mosque Waiting for the Arab Leaders”.
Israel-American Collaborative War against Earth, Muslims and Humanity
The UK Government is one of the staunch supporters of the Israeli war against Gaza. British Prime Minister Starmer claims Islam and Mohammad are at the epic center of challenges and animosity towards democracy and liberal values.“UK politicians are whipping up an anti-Muslim panic. Where’s the evidence?” https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/uk-claim-muslims-threatening-democracy-dangerous-evidence- headline appear in the Middle East Eye magazine (UK), and The Sun:
*Our real problem is with Islam itself and will remain so because we have no choice but to confront the Islamic flow and Islamic thought in all ways…...*Our differences are not really with the Islamic peoples or the ruling regimes, because the regimes revolve around us and derive their survival from us, and implement our policies that serve Western national security first, regardless of their national security….*Our real problem lies with Islam and Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam because it is a civilized religion that has detailed answers to all existential and civilizational questions, and it is a stubborn competitor to Western civilization, which has begun to lose its brilliance, while Islam and Muhammad are becoming increasingly brilliant even within our European societies, which liberal values have allowed freedom of thought and weakened the authority of the Church, and this free and abstract thinking has led many elites and youth to embrace Islam, because they found in it all the answers to their psychological, spiritual, existential and social needs that our contradictory civilization has drowned them in.
Those bombing and destroying the Earth and its life cycle are not normal human beings. Were the ancient people of stone-age more intelligent and responsible for not having destroyed the earth and environment in wars and kept mankind in safety and unity? The Earth is a Divine living entity and a trust to mankind. American supplied weaponry massacred more than 41,000 innocent people of Gaza, 16,000 children and women and several thousand buried under the rubble; and Israel bombed and destroyed the habitats and its citizens for no other reason except intransigence and animosity against Arabs and Muslims. If the original population of Gaza and West Bank-Palestine were happened to be Jews or Christians, the bombing and destruction was unthinkable. “ It is only wrong doers stand as Protectors- one to another; But God is the Protector of Righteous”clarifies the Divine message. (Quran: 45;19). Another clarification spells out the truth: “We have not created the Heavens and the earth and whatever is between them in sport: We have not created them but for a serious end. But the greater part of them understand it not.” (Quran: Chapter 44: 38)
The Earth belongs to all humanity and is a living entity and rotates itself at a speed of 1000 miles per hour at equator and orbits Sun at average speed of 67062 MPH.The Divine warning (Chapter 7: 56: The Qur’an), tells: Do no mischief on the Earth after it hath been set in order, but call on God with fear and longing in hearts; For the Mercy of God is always near to those who do good. Earth is a trust to humanity and trust includes accountability.The Earth sustains all forms of living things(known and unknown), the essential foundation of our very existence. Pathologically wicked leaders and nations claiming to be most powerful start acting like God to challenge the sanctity and limits of the Laws of God; historically, they become an object of unthinkable natural calamities- earthquakes, wildfires, floods, deaths and destruction.“Say! Travel through the earth; And see what was the end of those who rejected Truth.” spell out the annals of human history. Those bombing and causing catastrophic events to destroy the planet Earth and mankind and all of its treasures and enrichments are not normal human beings. And killing of innocent people is prohibited in the Ten Commandments (Torah): 'Thou shalt not kill' (Exod. 20:13; also Deut. 5:17). Jewish law views the shedding of innocent blood very seriously, and lists murder as one of three sins (along with idolatry and sexual immorality), that fall under the category of yehareg ve'al ya'avor - meaning "One should let himself be killed rather than violate it.
Arab-Muslim Leaders Waiting for the End-Game
Sigmund Freud (Civilization and its Discontent, 1930) noted that “the inclination to aggression is an original self-subsisting instinctual disposition in man, and that it constitutes the greatest impediment to civilization.” The Arab Middle East is no exception.
The game is the same “do nothing” and talk loudly. In a global age of knowledge and information, Arab -Muslim leaders cannot pretend to be ignorant and unaware of the catastrophic humanitarian crisis unfolding daily on the television screen. Most are corrupt egoistic puppets of the West enjoying life within the palaces guarded by foreign mercernaries. The alleged war crimes and genocide in Gaza warranted swift action to safeguard human lives entrapped in the war zones - why did the UNO not organize a force to protect the civilians in war zones across Gaza and West Bank?
Caitlin Johnstone (“Opposing The Gaza Genocide While Supporting Biden Is A Dishonest” 04/29/24), offers rational insight to many concerns:
You really couldn’t put together a more incoherent position if you tried. You can’t acknowledge that Israel is committing genocide without also acknowledging that the Biden administration has been actively participating in that genocide. If you acknowledge that Biden is guilty of genocide, then you are acknowledging that he is guilty of the most horrific crime a state leader can possibly commit short of initiating a nuclear exchange…..Those who are supporting Biden while opposing the destruction of Gaza do not have any kind of integrity. They’re just wearing whatever mask is politically convenient based on the way the winds are blowing on a given moment, while continuing to support the US-centralized empire which cannot be sustained without nonstop tyranny and bloodshed.
Animals live and do not reflect on the imperatives of life whereas, we, human beings, cannot act like animals as we are supposed to be intelligent and responsible species on this Earth. At the edge of reason, the notion of evil leads to the realization that evil and the tyranny of war must be stopped by all means, and those responsible for the genocide and crimes against humanity must be held accountable to restore the manifestation of a sustainable human future.
Dr. Mahboob A. Khawaja specializes in international affairs-global security, peace and conflict resolution and has spent several academic years across the Russian-Ukrainian and Central Asian regions knowing the people, diverse cultures of thinking and political governance and a keen interest in Islamic-Western comparative cultures and civilizations, and author of several publications including: One Humanity and the Remaking of Global Peace, Security and Conflict Resolution, and a forthcoming book: Global Humanity and the Remaking of Peace, Security and Conflict Resolution beyond the Lens of Human Consciousness.
BJP Government Cares Two Hoots For Supreme Court Verdict
Syed Rifaquat Ali
Is the BJP government at the Centre in India employees-friendly? The answer is: No, Not At All.
The general feeling is that the government is heavily tilted towards the business tycoons/magnates, ignoring the central staff/pensioners which number over one crore.
And this perception is evident from the government's lukewarm approach towards the 18-month DA/DR arrears due to central staff and pensioners from January 2020 to 2021, amounting to 34,000 crore rupees as a result of Covid pandemic which caused ecnomic disruption.
After receiving representations from government employee's associations, including the National Council of Joint Consultative Machinery (NCJCM), the Union Minister of State for finance, Pankaj Choudhary, replied in Rajya Sabha (Upper House) of Parliament on August 8, to two members of Parliament who had joined the issue, "As the adverse financial impact of pandemic in 2020 and the financing of welfare measures taken by the government had a fiscal spill over beyond FY 2020-21 arrears of DA/DR were not considered feasible."
India is the third largest economy in the world claims the BJP government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserts that India is Wishvguru (world leader), but this tall talk is all hollow and the ground realities are different.
There is a pall of gloom among millions of Indians, young and old, since the central government is mostly involved in meaningless exercise and cares little to uplift the downtrodden. The central government claims that it is giving five kilo of ration each to eighty five crore people which shows that the government indirectly admits that more than half the population of India is poverty-stricken.
Millions of young boys and girls are jobless. Inflation is on the rise. Prices of essential commodities are unprecedented. And the standard of education has declined beyond comprehension. And yet the government is unmoved to overcome such serious problems.
The government is mostly busy in spreading communal hatred which is detrimental to the progress of the country. Fraternity and compassion are thing of the past. Even BJP's godfather, RSS, is not happy with the functioning of the government. BJP's tall leader, DR. Subramanian Swamy, says that Modi must go in September when he turns 75 or that other methods will be applied to shunt him out.
Modi had forced BJP tall leaders like Lal Kishen Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Jaswant Singh et al.to resign on the plea that they were over 75 years of age. Now it remains to be seen whether he resigns or not after he turns 75 in September. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat says Modi is very arrogant and haughty. Modi is so diehard that he does not accept even Supreme Court verdict if it is not in favour of his government.
The Supreme Court had ruled that DA is part of salary and the government has no right to take it away willfully. But the Centre is unmoved and the stalemate continues. Such is the governance of the BJP government.
Syed Rifaquat Ali is JoA correspondent in Sydney
India's Shabby Performance In Paris Olympics
By Syed Rifaquat Ali
The 117-member Indian contingent, including technical and non-technical officials, has put 140 billion people to shame since India could not bag a single gold medal.
It will be euphemistic to say India did not do well in the Paris Olympics. Ever since India's first participation in the Olympics in 1920 India had been biting the dust to the disappointment of millions of people.
And that too when the central government has been spending millions and millions of rupees which accrues from the taxes levied on rich and poor. Eighty four countries are in the medal list and USA with forty gold medals is right on top, though China too is not far behind with equal number of gold medals, a lesson for India which brags of competing with China in every field.
In Paris Olympics 2024, thirty nine countries won two gold medals each, twenty three countries won one gold medal each and thirteen countries won one bronze medal each. While Pakistan won one gold medal through Arshad Nadeem (Javelin), India just managed to bag one silver and five bronze medals, and yet much below Pakistan in the Ranking list which is very much stunning and agonising for India, considering the huge amount of money India spends on the training of sportspersons, equipment, infra-structure, foreign coaches and so on.
The Budget allocation for sports in India for 2024-25 is a whopping 3442.32 crore rupees, an increase of six per cent from last year's budget. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Flagship Project Khelo India gets Rs.900 crore. Astonishingly, more than the national body Sports Authority of India which has got Rs.785.5 crore.
With so much money being pumped in sports development in India, the performance of
our sportspersons in Olympics is deplorable in the eyes of the world. And India has no shame to take appraisal of her horrendous performance in International competitions. I am told that the Sports Authority of India had spent about five crore rupees on the training of athletes in preparation for Paris Olympics.
With so much concerted effort and focus on India's participation in mega competitions, the performance of sportspersons has been horrifying. Taking stock of India's performance in Paris Olympics 2024, experts had this to say: Dr. Gurdial Singh Bawa, who teaches Master's Course at the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports and is national gymnastics coach says that "India's performance in Paris Olympics has been awful."
Dr.Bhupinder Singh Dhillon, one of the most knowledgeable sports scientists in the country told this correspondent that India hardly won any individual medal in Olympics. It was Karnam Malleswari, who won a bronze medal in weightlifting ( women section) in 2008 Olympics which opened the individual account in the Olympics. But for hockey, the performance of Indian sportspersons In Paris Olympics has been poor. PR Sondhi, former national wrestling coach says that the rules framed by International Wrestling Federation are bizarre and IOC must look into it.
India's Vinesh Phogat was disqualified in the final bout (women wrestling) because she was overweight by 100 grams is shocking. And the stupid Indian Wrestling Federation did not protest. Dr.Syed Ehsan Ali, a well-known sports buff says there is abundant talent in India but not sufficient playgrounds. The authorities concerned should look into it. Since Independence, India has won just one individual gold medal which in no way justifies the fortune she spends on sportspersons, infrastructure, foreign coaches, training camps, training overseas and so on.
The sports management in India is weak. The bureaucrats rule over coaches and officials and there is no check to this unhealthy governance. If India is looking to improve its medal tally in Olympics, preparation for Los Angeles Olympics 2028 should start now. The sports ministry should be strict on this.
Syed Rifaquat Ali is JoA correspondent in Sydney
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