foreign media reveal the inside story of the israeli military’s hunt for hezbollah leaders
2024-10-02
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reference news network reported on october 1according to an agence france-presse report on september 29, israel killed hezbollah leader hassan nasrallah in a violent bombing on the outskirts of beirut on the 27th. experts believe it was an extraordinary espionage operation that capped years of intelligence work and highlighted the depth of penetration into hezbollah.
intelligence collection lasts for several years
here is the information afp has on how israel mobilized its intelligence resources for the operation.
in mid-september, hezbollah members' pagers and walkie-talkies exploded, killing 39 people and injuring nearly 3,000 others. robert satloff of the washington institute for near east policy pointed out that these explosions, for which israel did not claim responsibility, "return hezbollah's communications to the stone age."
israeli army spokesman nadav shoshani told reporters on friday that the intelligence gathering that led to nasrallah's elimination had been underway for several years. "we used intelligence that we had collected over the years, we had real-time information, and we conducted this strike," he said.
middle east expert james dorsey said there was no doubt that this operation was a "highly sophisticated" intelligence operation that "not only demonstrated important technical capabilities, but also demonstrated the depth of israel's penetration of hezbollah."
the wall street journal said israel spent months planning. the new york times stated that analysis of a military video showed that the aircraft involved in the attack were "equipped with at least 15 2,000-pound (approximately 900 kilograms) bombs." "more than 80 bombs were dropped within minutes, killing nasrallah," senior officials told the newspaper. the wall street journal stated that the bunker was hit by an "80-ton bomb."
similar to targeting bin laden
according to a report on the website of el espanyol, the method used by mossad to track down and assassinate hassan nasrallah was exactly the same as the method used by the cia to capture bin laden.
on may 2, 2011, the u.s. navy seals killed bin laden, the world's most wanted terrorist who claimed responsibility for the 9/11 terrorist attacks. israel had just eliminated hassan nasrallah, the leader of lebanese hezbollah, using exactly the same method except for the final stages of the operation.
like the cia, israeli intelligence agents must not only track nasrallah's whereabouts but also explore the behavioral patterns of the terrorist organization's leader and his inner circle.
"you have to take into account that it took them a long time," said military analyst and retired u.s. air force colonel cedric layton. "just like the u.s. hunt for bin laden, the israelis have been tracking nasrallah. ”
u.s. intelligence agencies spent nearly a decade tracking bin laden. the capture operation used the most advanced technology and methods, but the human element was crucial.
in this case, the key is a messenger. the united states intercepted a phone call from a courier trusted by bin laden. it was this clue that allowed the cia to find the exact location of the leader of the "al qaeda" organization.
according to u.s. officials, every time bin laden's personal entourage wanted to talk on the phone, he had to drive for more than an hour and a half and then reinstall his phone's battery.
through this courier, american spies found a residence in abbottabad, pakistan, where they discovered a man. the man walked in the inner courtyard of the house every day but never left. through satellite imagery, u.s. intelligence officials identified the walker as bin laden.
little is known about how mossad learned of nasrallah's exact whereabouts. "to our knowledge, hezbollah leaders have not communicated with the outside world via paging systems or cell phones since 1992," layton said.
he said: "to find him, they used signals, human intelligence, images, etc. all of these means combined to determine not only his location, but also the time he entered and exited these places and how he communicated via television or other the media speaks to its followers, all of which "are critical," he stressed.
that's the similarity.
choose air strikes more efficiently
on may 2, 2011, an elite "seal" commando team composed of 25 soldiers conducted a night raid on the bunker-style three-story building where bin laden was hiding.
however, layton noted that "one of the key differences" was that bin laden was "located above ground" while nasrallah was "located in a very large underground complex" and below apartments where civilians lived. poses a "huge challenge" to the israelis.
"they could have used a special operations team, but the risk was very high," leighton said. "the israelis had to deal with a maze of roads. they did a cost-benefit analysis and decided it would be better to use planes and bombs." easier and more effective.”
contrary to obama's decision 13 years ago, israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu chose the bomb. in an unprecedented targeted strike operation known as the "new order", the israeli air force used f-15 fighter jets to attack the headquarters of hezbollah where nasrallah was located.
in addition to nasrallah, israel claimed the deaths of several hezbollah commanders. (compiled by liu zhuo, liu lifei)
