RSSUN agency: Submarine data pipeline cuts may be sabotage
By Tim Conneally | Published February 19, 2008, 2:41 PM
Sabotage is now being discussed as one possible explanation for the numerous cuts which took place two weeks ago on undersea data pipelines serving much of the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), an agency of the UN, says that sabotage cannot be ruled out as a possible cause yet, and that investigations are continuing. Many have remarked that the total of five cuts made to different cables simultaneously in different locations seems unlikely to be a simple coincidence.
At a Qatari conference on cyber-crime, ITU head of development Sami Al-Murshed said that since the cables lie at such great depths under the sea, and are not passed over by ships, many of their experts doubt the prevailing -- and some may say placatory -- view that the cables were accidentally cut.
Two of the cables have reportedly been fixed, and the status of the others remains unclear. If this was an act of international sabotage or terrorism, no group has yet come forth to take credit or elucidate their motives.
I would suspect Iran first and foremost, since they would have the means and be stupid enough to think that cutting the major telecom lines would isolate the Middle East for any real length of time. We also can't discount the possibility of Russia or even the US botching an attempt at installing a "tap" on these backbones.
Score: 0
It was some petroleum futures traders that hired some Antlantean mermen to do it, hoping that George Bush could pin it on El Quesodilla, the Venezuelan fine foods preparer's union, then invade and tie up Venezuela's oil production in a senseless and bloody conflict so that the price per barrel could hit a new $200 high, thus increasing their profits!
Or it could have been my next door neighbor trying to get free Disney channel.
Score: 0
Weezu, you rock....
I was going to say it was Fremen from the deep desert... bleh...
Score: 0
This episode is probably gonna happen again and again every 3-4 months. Whoever they are, THEY FOUND A HUGE WEAKNESS which is gonna be insanely expensive to protect.
Score: 0
If it was done by folks using ships, we've already tracked them via satellite.
I mean, seriously. We can track the movement of an ant from space for pete's sake.
Score: 0
While they're watching the ant, the man from U.N.C.L.E. was doing it!
Score: 0
Duh, this was sabotage, probably by terrorists. Were talking about cables in the middle of nowhere, get some divers and some cutting equipment, its a done deal in a very short time. Very easy and very effective.
Cyber terrorism, the way of the future or present rather.
They are too deep to cut or mess with yet NOT too deep to fix? Obviously they got access to them to fix them? Couldn't they have been accessed the same way to cut them?
Score: 0
I believe fixing doesn't mean going down there and taping the cables up you know.
It's more like replacing, than fixing.
Score: 0
Not very smart are you? They are MUCH too deep for divers to reach. In order to be repaired special ships are sent out that lift up the 2 broken ends and splice. Care must be taken to lay the new wire down in a U shape so as to prevent any kinks and make sure the cables lie flat.
Im not saying it wasn't cut on purpose, but it certainly was not by scuba-divers.
Score: 0
Sabotage!? Oh no! This is "abysmal"!!
Score: 0
You gotta ask, who's afraid of the Internet? Specifically who's afraid of Internet access for Iraq and Iran?
Iranian mullahs? Iraqi insurgents? The US goverment?
Nope it was Fox News.
Score: 0
That's because it wasn't sabotage. It was likely an U.S. Gov f*ckup as they were leaving after finishing whatever it was they were there to do. As for the RIAA, they eat nutsacks. They can't even keep their web server from being penetrated constantly, how are they gonna plan to damage an undersea cable when those dim-witted baboons can't even spell the word.
http://www.betanews.com/..._data_cables/1202244040
No one believed me.
Score: 0
Right on! And I've seen the Black Helicopters too, O brother! And then, my dog was abducted by the CIA, and sent to Gitmo.
No one believed me either!
Score: 0
It was the RIAA.
Score: 0
i second that
Score: 0
Agreed. Along with b!tches from MPAA.
Score: 0