Exploding pagers

[WVlaserguy]

So if the technology exists to make pager batteries explode, does it also work for cellphone batteries?

[House of Roberts]

1. Was it confirmed the batteries exploded,

or did they use an actual explosive?

[Frasier Balzov]

2. NBC News tells me they all went off simultaneously.

I would call that an extraordinary coincidence if it was only battery chemistry!

[CincyDem]

3. NYT reporting explosives were planted in the pages prior to delivery.

Stuff of legend this is. Absolutely surgical.

[notroot]

7. Yeah I don't think anything is confirmed yet, but I also read that...

A small amount of heat-sensitive explosive disguised as a component was added. Apparently they (if not Israel, then who) intercepted the shipment of Iranian pagers and rigged them all to overheat when they received a text code. The heat set off the explosive and buh-bye terrorists!

[CincyDem]

11. Not sure anything will be fully confirmed. Israeli news outlet reporting pagers were modified 5 months ago.

Makes sense that the battery temp might have been a catalyst but kind of risky given the local temps and probability of a pager getting hot in a car somewhere. Had to be more than just a heat trigger. IMHO.

[notroot]

15. Yah info trickling out. Now 2 sources briefed on the Op -- one American -- say...

There was a remote trigger, and that the explosives were tiny and placed next to the battery. Not clear if they hacked the pager circuitry or had a separate receiver.

[Srkdqltr]

4. They had to have been loaded with something, a program set to ignite something in the pager.

Could there been an amount of explosive? Then someone somewhere said the right word and poof.
Had to be done while being made?
How interesting.

[Srkdqltr]

5. Couldn't happen to a better bunch.

[womanofthehills]

9. Children, doctors and nurses were injured

Some went off in grocery stores, parents driving kids around, hospitals, etc. This is so sick and worrisome.

[NickB79]

12. If they were purchased by Hezbollah for their fighters

The people wearing them were not innocent people. And if people standing next to them were injured, that's on the Hezbollah terrorists for being, well, terrorists.

[Srkdqltr]

14. Very awful that innocent were involved. I shouldn't have made light of it.

[former9thward]

6. Cell phones can certainly be rigged to explode.

But we don't know what exactly exploded in the pagers. It may have been an explosive added to the pager.

[Liberal In Texas]

8. The batteries didn't explode.

Somebody intercepted the shipment and placed explosives in them. They were probably all detonated at once by reception of a number or code.

[Bok_Tukalo]

10. The bomb in the baby carriage was wired to the radio

These are the days of miracle and wonder

[Igel]

13. It hurt fighters.

But word is this is an important means by which Hezbollah communicates internally.

Nothing like having a significant portion of your internal, hard-to-hack communications systems explode on you. Literally.