【明報專訊】LEBANON was shaken by successive waves of en masse explosions of pagers and walkie-talkies. At least 18 people, including children, were killed and thousands were injured. As the communication devices involved were used by many members of Lebanon's militant group Hezbollah, the blasts were widely believed to be an attack planned by Israel, heightening fears of an escalation of conflicts in the Middle East. It is suspected that the thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies that went off had been implanted with detonating devices during production.
The incident was shocking in the sense that daily commodities can, at any time, be unexpectedly turned into weapons for state-level terrorist attacks. Taking lessons from this, many countries will presumably put more emphasis on national security when considering issues of supply chains. Emerging trends of localisation in manufacturing and friendshoring will become more noticeable.
Nearly one year on since the outbreak of war in Gaza, tensions remain high in the Middle East. The latest pager and walkie-talkie blasts in Lebanon were clearly an elaborately planned attack. Many parties concerned believe that Mossad, Israel's intelligence agency, was involved. Based in southern Lebanon, Hezbollah is a long-time supporter of Hamas. Since the outbreak of war in Gaza, Hezbollah has exchanged fire with the Israeli military almost every day along the Israel-Lebanon border.
Early this year, Hezbollah leaders called on members to stop using mobile phones to avoid being tracked and thereby ambushed by Israeli intelligence. Subsequently, the group distributed thousands of pagers to its members, and unknowingly fell into the trap. From the Israeli perspective, setting off pagers on a large scale on the first day was to force Hezbollah members to switch to walkie-talkies for communication; the en masse detonation of walkie-talkies on the next day was obviously one step further to wipe them out.
Not only were thousands of Hezbollah members killed or injured, but the group's communication and command system was also thrown into disarray. From supermarkets to pavements, explosions occurred at every corner across Lebanon. Some were even blown up before the eyes of families. The horror effect on witnesses and innocent civilians was in no way different from a terrorist attack.
The incident has shocked the world mainly because seemingly ordinary daily commodities turned out to be tools for a terrorist attack operated at the state level. Reuters reported that the thousands of pagers involved had been rigged before they were shipped into Lebanon. Each pager had been implanted with about three grams of explosives and would be detonated after receiving a specifically coded message. Although the exploded pagers were labelled with a Taiwan manufacturing brand, it is likely very difficult to investigate how the explosives were implanted or who were involved. As a result of the incident, many countries will presumably heighten their vigilance and put more considerations on national security when supply chains are concerned.
Production and supply chains are complicated in the era of economic globalisation. Rigging goods during production or circulation is not always fiction. If rigging can occur to pagers, the security risks for mobile devices or aircraft engines are equally there. In the future, the US and its allies may probably place an even higher emphasis on "friendshoring". China and the like will also presumably put more effort into the localisation of manufacturing. Global economic and trade cooperation may consequently go further backward.
明報社評 2024.09.19：傳呼機炸彈震動中東 供應鏈安全觸動世界
黎巴嫩接連發生傳呼機及手提對講機集體爆炸，至少18人死亡，當中包括兒童，另有數千人受傷。由於黎巴嫩武裝組織真主黨很多成員都有使用相關通訊設備，外界普遍相信這是一場由以色列策劃的襲擊，中東戰火恐進一步升級，今次爆炸的數千部傳呼機及對講機，疑在生產過程中加入了爆炸裝置。
事件令人震驚之處，在於一些日常用品竟可隨時變成國家級恐襲武器。經此一役，相信很多國家將更強調從國安角度考慮供應鏈問題，國產化、友岸外包等趨勢將更突出。
加沙戰事爆發快滿一年，中東局勢則持續緊張。今次發生在黎巴嫩的傳呼機及對講機爆炸案，明顯是一場精心策劃的襲擊，各方都相信以色列特務機關摩薩德涉事。真主黨以黎巴嫩南部為根據地，一直支持哈馬斯。加沙戰事爆發以來，真主黨和以軍幾乎每天都在以黎邊境交火互轟。
今年初，真主黨領袖呼籲成員停用手機，以防以色列情報部門追蹤狙擊，組織之後向成員分發了數千部傳呼機，未料反而墮入圈套。從以色列的角度，首天大規模引爆傳呼機，迫使真主黨成員紛紛改用對講機通訊，再於翌日集體引爆對講機，明顯是想趕盡殺絕。
真主黨不僅數以千計成員死傷，整個通訊指揮系統也陷入混亂。黎巴嫩各地超市、街頭處處發生爆炸，有人更在家人眼前被炸，這對目擊者和無辜百姓所造成的恐慌效果，實無異於恐怖襲擊。
今次事件震驚世界，一大原因是看似平凡的日用品，竟會變成國家級恐襲工具。路透社報道，涉事數千部傳呼機在運往黎巴嫩前已被人做了手腳，每部均植入約3克炸藥，當收到特定編碼信息就會引爆。爆炸的傳呼機貼有台灣廠商品牌，但究竟炸藥是如何植入、涉及什麼人，查證恐怕非常困難。經此一役，相信不少國家都會提高警惕，在供應鏈問題上更着重國家安全考慮。
經濟全球化年代，生產供應鏈錯綜複雜。產品生產流通過程被人做手腳，絕非天方夜譚；既然傳呼機可以動手腳，由手機裝置到飛機引擎，恐怕一樣存在安全風險。美國及其盟友，未來有可能更強調「友岸外包」，至於中國等相信亦將更致力於國產化。全球經貿合作，有可能進一步倒退。
/ Glossary生字 /
en masse：all together, and usually in large numbers
detonate (sth)：to explode, or to make a bomb or other device explode
disarray：a lack of order or organisation in a situation or a place