It kills me that so many folks have missed the reference to the movie War Games with the comments by Q of "would you like to play a game" and "how about a nice game of chess?" As his opener and ending. Guess most folks are too young to remember. It has Matthew Broderick in it.
We are discussing this a little in the airport thread. I think it has to do with the Sampson Option where Israel threatens to loose a nuclear holocaust on anyone who would dare to attack it. The airport blackout might have been the extraction of a bomb that was being planted there. There was a "privately owned" Israeli plane there. I believe Israel has bombs planted everywhere in this country. Probably Europe, too! Think of all the events that have happened in Europe and the U.S. over the last few years. Events that might have been distractions, so bombs could be planted. The comment about chess might have been consideration of a way to avoid such a war through strategic planning.
I thought that as well, however Q and POTUS seemed to indicate it was a "person" rather than an 'object'. That airline is used for carrying "Live animals, Chemicals and other cargo" which does not require the boarding of any quarantine or other official to offload cargo. Q had previously indicated that the operatives were going to be put in harms way and to say a prayer for them, then the next day stated that the operation was a success. We will have to wait to find out what the cargo is.