Export forwarders should be aware that the country will strictly inspect imported electronic equipment
With two days of widespread explosions of pagers, walkie-talkies and other devices in Lebanon this week, the terrifying prospect of everyday electronic devices becoming improvised explosive devices no longer seems the stuff of science fiction. And the Middle East, which is currently at the center of this storm, has undoubtedly reached a point where electronic devices are facing great enemies.
Both the Lebanese Foreign Ministry and Hezbollah have now accused Israeli intelligence of carrying out the bombings on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Lebanese mission to the United Nations said in a letter sent to the U.N. Security Council on Thursday that based on preliminary investigations, Lebanese authorities found that the communications devices that exploded had been implanted with explosives before they arrived in the country and were detonated by sending electronic messages to them.
Lebanese Minister of Public Health Firas Abyad said on the 19th that the explosion of communication equipment in Lebanon on the 17th and 18th has killed 37 people and injured 2,931 others.
A series of bombings also made many people in the Middle East began to fear the daily communication equipment. As messages circulated telling people to turn off their routers or remove batteries from certain devices, many people began to worry about other electronic items in their homes, fearing further explosions in the future.
Officially, Lebanon's Civil Aviation authority on Thursday ordered a ban on pagers and walkie-talkies on flights, while Iraq plans to start cracking down on imported electronic devices.
Pagers and walkie-talkies are banned in Lebanon
According to Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA), the Lebanese Civil Aviation Authority has asked airlines operating in Beirut to inform passengers that pagers and walkie-talkies are not allowed on any flights.
Such equipment cannot be transported by air either.
Lebanon's General Directorate of Civil Aviation said in a statement that it has instructed airlines at Beirut's Rafik Hariri International Airport to inform passengers that pagers and walkie-talkies are prohibited on flights. The ban applies to checked baggage and carry-on items, and prohibited devices will be confiscated.
Some analysts say the ban on pagers and walkie-talkies could even spread beyond Middle Eastern airports in the future. Many people are concerned that the modified pagers could be detonated on an airplane, especially if the passengers are sitting next to the window.
Michael Rubin, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute who focuses on the Middle East, also noted this week the potential impact of the bombing on the global aviation industry.
Rubin said the main question security experts now face is whether similar explosive behavior will appear on electronic devices in other countries. "In other words, the question is whether there will be a future where someone remotely controls hundreds of tablets or computers or other electronic devices in the sky, causing their batteries to overheat or even explode."
Rubin believes that while Hezbollah may have been the target of the bombing, this bombing may be the biggest impact on the aviation industry since the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Iraq checks security of imported electronic equipment
Although the vast majority of the attacks so far have taken place in Lebanon, Iraq, as a close neighbor in the Middle East, cannot afford to be careless at the moment.
In the wake of this week's deadly pager bombing, the Iraqi government has said it will tighten border management to prevent "potential violations" or security threats, especially against imports of "electronic equipment," according to media reports.
It is reported that Iraqi Prime Minister and commander-in-Chief of the armed forces Mohammed Shia Soudani chaired a ministerial meeting on national security on the 18th. The meeting was briefed on the latest developments in Lebanon.
According to a communique issued by Soltani's office, "the meeting of ministers stressed the need for border crossings to take the necessary precautions to avoid any potential violations".
The communique further stated that "the committee also stressed the importance of conducting thorough safety checks on imported products, especially electronic equipment, before signing contracts, as well as the importance of only signing contracts with reputable companies during the import process."
Both the Lebanese Foreign Ministry and Hezbollah have now accused Israeli intelligence of carrying out the bombings on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Lebanese mission to the United Nations said in a letter sent to the U.N. Security Council on Thursday that based on preliminary investigations, Lebanese authorities found that the communications devices that exploded had been implanted with explosives before they arrived in the country and were detonated by sending electronic messages to them.
Lebanese Minister of Public Health Firas Abyad said on the 19th that the explosion of communication equipment in Lebanon on the 17th and 18th has killed 37 people and injured 2,931 others.
A series of bombings also made many people in the Middle East began to fear the daily communication equipment. As messages circulated telling people to turn off their routers or remove batteries from certain devices, many people began to worry about other electronic items in their homes, fearing further explosions in the future.
Officially, Lebanon's Civil Aviation authority on Thursday ordered a ban on pagers and walkie-talkies on flights, while Iraq plans to start cracking down on imported electronic devices.
Pagers and walkie-talkies are banned in Lebanon
According to Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA), the Lebanese Civil Aviation Authority has asked airlines operating in Beirut to inform passengers that pagers and walkie-talkies are not allowed on any flights.
Such equipment cannot be transported by air either.
Lebanon's General Directorate of Civil Aviation said in a statement that it has instructed airlines at Beirut's Rafik Hariri International Airport to inform passengers that pagers and walkie-talkies are prohibited on flights. The ban applies to checked baggage and carry-on items, and prohibited devices will be confiscated.
Some analysts say the ban on pagers and walkie-talkies could even spread beyond Middle Eastern airports in the future. Many people are concerned that the modified pagers could be detonated on an airplane, especially if the passengers are sitting next to the window.
Michael Rubin, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute who focuses on the Middle East, also noted this week the potential impact of the bombing on the global aviation industry.
Rubin said the main question security experts now face is whether similar explosive behavior will appear on electronic devices in other countries. "In other words, the question is whether there will be a future where someone remotely controls hundreds of tablets or computers or other electronic devices in the sky, causing their batteries to overheat or even explode."
Rubin believes that while Hezbollah may have been the target of the bombing, this bombing may be the biggest impact on the aviation industry since the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Iraq checks security of imported electronic equipment
Although the vast majority of the attacks so far have taken place in Lebanon, Iraq, as a close neighbor in the Middle East, cannot afford to be careless at the moment.
In the wake of this week's deadly pager bombing, the Iraqi government has said it will tighten border management to prevent "potential violations" or security threats, especially against imports of "electronic equipment," according to media reports.
It is reported that Iraqi Prime Minister and commander-in-Chief of the armed forces Mohammed Shia Soudani chaired a ministerial meeting on national security on the 18th. The meeting was briefed on the latest developments in Lebanon.
According to a communique issued by Soltani's office, "the meeting of ministers stressed the need for border crossings to take the necessary precautions to avoid any potential violations".
The communique further stated that "the committee also stressed the importance of conducting thorough safety checks on imported products, especially electronic equipment, before signing contracts, as well as the importance of only signing contracts with reputable companies during the import process."
