I was out washing my car in the morning when I could not help but notice three cars with the same exact number parked there. Two were Nissan Xtrails with tinted windows and one GMC envoy. It is simply ridiculous how easy it is for politicians to just put wrong plates on all their cars for “security reasons”. I wanted to take more pictures of every plate but the drivers/bodyguards/militiamen/hitmen were giving me the looks.
In France & Germany, you cannot recognize plate numbers. You can’t even tell a rented car from a personal one. Which is better for security. While in Lebanon, they’re tainted, carry the same plate and same model. How… intelligent !
Was just about to say,,how does having the same plates prevent them from being traced? If anything, it makes them more conspicuous. #fail
usually same license plates are put on cars so its harder to trace which car is the decoy and which is the one carrying the VIP. but in Lebanon they have like 5 different cars with the same license plate! on another note, isnt it easier to just ride in a regular car? no1 will even notice them!
@Joe
Regular car ? You’re kidding me, right ? Mr. Politics wants comfort AND security. Doesn’t rhyme… Ba3den it’s pride hurting to ride a rusty car !
This is what Pierre Gemayel did yet was assassinated. No one escapes assassinations in Lebanon not when there is a decision to kill them.
Sorry if this will hurt any feelings, but aint it better if we get rid of them all?
@Joe Ain’t hurting mine buddy !
Joe,
You did not hurt any feelings but I do not wish death to any politicians, specially the young ones like Sheikh Pierre who were only stating their opinions and don’t have blood on their hands.
Same goes for Gebran Tueni and Samir Kassir, two excellent politicians and true assets that we lost in vain.
Nevertheless, let’s keep this away from politics.
Having the same plates on two cars is just stupid. it should be at least 3 cars. it’s the oldest security clout tactic in the book, called the shell game. however the way i see it done in Lebanon is very wrong and downright redundantly dangerous.
the initial strategy is that the VIP rides in any of the three identical cars. the other two serve as decoy, the three will drive in a rather spaced formation and keep rotating sporadically yet calmly so that people that are following or observing do not know which car the VIP is in.. simple as it sounds, and quite simple to do, but pretty confusing to pick up unless you use high tech gizmos and cameras…
however in Lebanon, you see a lot of these 2 car convoys which kind of kill the whole idea. but still in convoys of either 2 or three cars you always notice that one or two of the cars, are driving extremely defensively and at close range from the third, implying that the VIP is in the protected car, however, even if he is in one of the vehicles pretending to guard the shadow VIP car, he is still in close proximity and thus all three are subject to be target of a TNT happy assailant.
the tactic has worked over the year, but as the Feb1405 bombing proves to us that in Lebanon, this tactic is useless when you have people ready to wipe out an entire city street to get to the guy…
this tactic is also used by the Marine One helicopters that fly the President of the USA.
but if you look closely at the X-Trails Najib, you will notice that they are not entirely identical, i see these two almost every morning, and if i had a say, i would fire this VIPs’ security adviser…they take the same exact route each morning, it happens to be the same as mine… i mean come on.. how stupid can people be to not pick up on it….
on another note, i hate how armored vehicle drivers drive these cars when no one is on board, these things weigh a lot, like 4 tons at least, and if they get in a crash with even a big SUV, they have the advantage and are able to crush the other cars outright… sometimes the most effective way is to drive a Picanto and go incognito, but again no one is supposed to know that you got into the car in the first place… or else…game over
to reply to some comments, riding in a regular car helps in a lot of cases, but you have to keep that fact concealed. i would go for a capable Motorbike and some kevlar, always to be parked in an underground unmonitored parking lot, you arrive, take your gear off, brush the suit and voila, you leave, and no one is the wiser… and if you get attacked, you can get away much quicker, but unfortunately a bullet is quicker than even the quickest bike, but i do get an Image of PM Jumblat on a Fat boy Harley Snarling its way to the Parliament…
Today on our way back home , I saw three black GMC Acadia with completely tinted windows and having all the 3 the same plate number ( 290817 o ) I think.. And the “o” stands for ” Oza3i ” and in the back of them a big motorcycle following these 3 cars. And a while they started driving too fast .
I was completely surprised & I am eager to know what are these 3 cars and is it legal to have 3 cars with the same plate number on them ?!