If you're reading Engadget today because your favorite Iranian gadget blog is offline, here's why: a fifth undersea cable has now been reported as cut (or at least damaged), responsible for
knocking Iran and a few other million people mostly off the interwebs. Things were already looking awfully suspicious when a fourth undersea cable in the Mediterranean
was cut yesterday, and while nothing about a fifth cable being cut necessarily means some sort of sabotage is to blame, it's not exactly reassuring. Emergency measures are already underway to repair the cables, but we're not sure our inter-continental Quake III Arena deathmatch can handle any more snips.
[Via
Slashdot; image courtesy of
I Love Bonnie]
Update: Just to be clear, early reports of the entirety of Iran being offline turned out to be exaggerated or perhaps entirely false.
posted Feb 6th 2008 12:50PM
Perhaps some US employees finally got ticked enough about their jobs being outsourced to "set the building on fire" as it were.
I believe you have my stapler...
I bet it's the Scientologists. They think Anonymous are terrorists, must be in the Middle East, and have decided to cut the cables.
This story has been refuted numerous times. Apparently, 1 (one) server is actually down, and while traffic has been somewhat slower, Iran is hardly "down".
Ditto to Fred. Slashdot has since updated the posting to note that Iran as a whole is not down - just experiencing some issues and slowness it seems.
That's right. Iran isn't 'down', but you're only half right in saying the story is 'refuted'. Nobody is denying that numerous cables have been cut.
Is it possible that this is the opening salvo of the cyber war we've all been fearing?
A Ping Heard Round The World?
Might not be down, but it's definitely out...
Why cut now?:
Iranian Oil Bourse slated to open Feb 19th, originally was going to launch on Kish Island between Feb 1-11. China recently has agreed to buy oil from Iran in Euro, Japan buys oil from Iran in Yen. The Iranian Oil Bourse will be the only market for oil not denomitated in US Petrodollars (NYMEX, IPE).
When demand for anything in our universe goes down (i.e. US currency) the value drops - result is US losing it's status as imperial power.
Why? If countries start buying their oil via IOB (Iranian Oil Bourse) they'll diversify their USD reserves into Euro (i.e. sell USD) demand for USD will drop and value will drop.
Iraq was able to sell their oil in Euro for 6 months before the US invaded - the first order of the day after invasion was reinstating USD Petrodollar as currency of trade for Iraqi oil.
http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=8000
http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=7998
Where is Kish Island? : http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=kish+island+iran&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=36.589577,77.167969&ie=UTF8&ll=27.059126,56.337891&spn=10.282267,26.499023&t=h&z=6&om=0
CLEARLY the Bush Administration is behind this.
Or, perhaps the Crab People?
YES! DAMN YOU CRAB PEOPLE! DAMN THEE TO HELL !!!!!!
Um, why would the Bush administration be behind this? The terrorists hate technology and advancement from ideals in the 1200's so cutting the cables would only help their cause...
Ry: I would like to introduce you to the world of Sarcasm. Do you really think that a person who ends their post with: "YES! DAMN YOU CRAB PEOPLE! DAMN THEE TO HELL !!!!!!" really also believes that the Bush administration is truly to blame.
Its called satire, all be it not that great but certainly not serious
@Ry,
terrorist groups utilize the internet on a daily basis to spread propaganda, recruit followers, and communicate with others.
i also don't think he was serious about bush given the fact he mentioned crab people too.
Look up 'sarcasm' and 'joke' ry.
The terrorists??????? How many submarines do they have? Detailed drawings of cable locations? I think you've been up watching too many Bond flicks.
@Kyle:
"All be it"? ^_^
haha I laughed at that too... its 'albeit' not 'all be it'
The Bush admin can't USE the internet let alone do things to affect it. Get real
Crabs pose no threat... We'll win by flipping them on their stomachs and inflicting massive damage
Terrorists kill people effeciently.
The difference is terrorists go to extremes. Like ants and bees, they will kill themselves to kill others.
Our soldiers will not kill themselves and cause unneccessary and reckless deaths.
Its likely they did something insanely simple, like explode something underwater using some lead and stuffs.
Is this really a problem?
Headline: Productivity Up 400% in Middle East Due to Lack of Internet
More specifically, lack of porn leads to increased productivity. The men don't need to go to the bathroom as often with their laptops.
P.S. Please don't declare jihad on me because of this post.
Sure it might not be your problem now, but believe me the internet is a vital for work in this part of the world. So yes it's a big problem for some of us.
How many cables have to be cut before reporting on Britney Spears, Paris Hilton and American Idol CEASE?
All of them!
Can't we just shoot them instead?
Heh: http://twitter.com/ryanblock/statuses/684237632
Came across this article that looks at the coverage, which suggests that it could be more than 5.
http://www.cyberspaceorbit.com/ConnectingTheDots.htm
At what point does coincidence mutate into something beyond Ryan's sleepwalking habits? ;)
That guy seems to be one of the overly paranoid conspiracy theorist types with a heavy anti-U.S. agenda as you get down into his article (especially the part where he implies the U.S. government is going to cut undersea cables in the U.S. itself (great lakes, chesapeake bay, etc.) to isolate ourselves from the rest of the world...that's the part where I lost any faith in the guy's views).
His extra cable seem to simply come from inconsistent/bad early reports from the media. I'd still place a lot of money on it being only 5.
Even if it is "only" 5 then you don't have to be a conspiracy theorist to heavily suspect foul play. Then you only have to think about who had a motive. Of course while you are doing that some people will take the opportunity to try and discredit you for being a "conspiracy theorist"...
Perhaps the cuts are to mask a tap being placed on the cable somewhere else.
We need to fight the terrorist over there, so we don't have to fight them here.
They hate us for our freedoms.
Weapons of mass destruction.
We shall be greeted with flowers and candy.
Mission accomplished.
... We've found our culprit.
Are we sure his name is not "FrankTheCrabperson"?
BTW Flashpoint, I almost blew soda out of my nose on that.
Anybody read "Sphere"? We need to start looking for space ships on the bottom of the ocean.
Such a shitty waste of time...and the movie is even worse!
Did you know that it took him 20 years to write the end?
Random trivia FTW! When all the cables are cut people will call me instead of going to wikipedia!
The book was awesome. The movie sucked.
Just out of curiosity, why are the books always 'awesome' and the movies always 'suck'?
Frank Furter:
Maybe because the movies are usally more compact than the books? Plus, they usually "add" stuff to the movies to make it more exciting and understandable (since you can't communicate with the one watching in a movie like you can with the reader of a book).
I thought Jurassic Park was a good movie . . . though mainly b/c of the special effects. It was very different from the book, of course.
And I can't think of another Michael Crichton movie that I would call "good." Congo? Timeline? Nope.
Perhaps. It's just that I've never heard someone say, "Man, that movie RULED! The book version sure sucked, though."
Of course, if it takes someone dozens (hundreds?) of hours to read a book, how could it -ever- compare to 2 hours of cinema?
Dunno. I can't focus long enough to read a book, so I get my versions from movies.
Also you have directors adding their own touches and going by their "interpretations" of the novel. Prime example: Starship Troopers. Paul Verhoeven messed this one up bad. Movie: Dizzy is a girl and a love interest for the main character. Novel: Dizzy is a guy and dies in the first paragraph of the first page. Movie: Troopers are basically space marines. Book: Troopers are Powered Suit equipped infantry. The basis for Mecha such as found in anime. (Book was written in the 50's)
In Crichton's case, the books are so much better for us nerds because of the science. Science would make the movies dull for most of the audience, so it's usually dumbed down to the point it's not the center of the story any more. Then they hire sub-par producers, directors, and actors to make it a film.
I'm still waiting for Prey to be made into a movie, BTW.
I did not really like the end of Sphere, felt it was kinda depressing that they made themselves forget all about it...
Oh hells yeah! (about Prey) I've been wanting that one to be made into a movie ever since that book came out...which isn't all that long ago, but still. It's decieving because there nine movies listed on IMDB as "Prey" one of which comes out this year and one slotted for 2009, yet none are the Prey we know and love.
The first move is to always disrupt communications, which means the Sith Lord Richard Bruce Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot Cheney has begun to move the Empire against the Persian Rebel Forces **insert Star Wars music here**...
It looks like a firesail
It's sea monsters trying to find something strong enough to floss their teeth with.
Guess they'll have to keep trying.
Isn't there something about this in the book of Revelation?
Something about undersea communication cables that carry Internet traffic being cut? Somehow, I doubt it.
Can't have been jesus, he walks on water I hear, how is he gonna get at them?
Weird! I remember someone saying that all of these undersea disruptions had originally been caused by an earthquake, but all of these cables are quite a distance apart. Something fishy is going on... Maybe its that Cloverfield monster wreaking havoc or something.
What you seem to be saying is that it isn't possible to have earthquakes in different parts of the world within a short timeframe.
Actually, I was just under the impression that there was only one very strong earth quake recorded. You heard there were multiple earth quakes?
If a fifth cable was indeed cut, I think it points to more evidence that this is coordinated. The first few could just be total accidents, but then No. 4 AND 5? All in a few days?
With how long those cables have been there its doubtful I think that just all of a sudden they would be having this kind of trouble. Maybe someone really is trying to limit communications....
Someone suggested the terrorists are trying to hamper communications between America's Middle Eastern Command in Bahrain and Iraq. Two words: Satellite Communications. Yah, we Americans tend to have those :)
And that makes it likely the americans are the ones cutting the cables. What gives?
What do you mean it makes the US likely to be the ones cutting communications? What benefit would closing off the middle east from the rest of the world gain them? It'd just mean that it'd be harder for Middle Eastern people to gain outside media source access, a critical component in any prolonged conflict.
My boss is now convinced that indeed, it is sharks that are after these undersea cables. Here is how it works: someone googles "tasty fish" and looks at the images, sharks are attracted, and bada bing, cables get eaten. Perfectly logical.
Your boss is wrong. It has been proven that to get the sharks to bite an undersea cable you have to get stranded on your catamaran with the hot girls out in the middle of the ocean and then bang on the cable with a wooden oar.
Please tell me that I'm not the only one that misread that as "bang one on the cable with a wooden oar"
@ Dan: best reply ever! Why bother training sharks with laser beams on their heads when Roy Scheider showed us how to do it...
FWIW, though I'm not sure what I make of it all, I still ain't gonna buy the number of coincidences needed to make all these cable cuts seem accidental.
Actually, there is some truth behind your bosses statement - the first generation of undersea fiber cables had a coating that was tasty to sharks. That was fixed years ago though...and these cables are supposedly fairly new. Not worth ruling out though.
Any possibility it could be a submarine snagging the lines, either on purpose or unknowingly?
I expect they will discover a few more cut cables, before they happen upon the roving band of murlocs responsible. Remember folks, there's never just one murloc.
it may be something up with this. the first thing the US likes to take away before a strike is the communications. Iran and North Korea should have been the targets in the first place.
Sorry world. I accidentally flushed my colony of angry sea monkeys I got as a kid from boy scout magazine. I hear they like to chew undersea cables...my bad.
Look, let's just all pay the Loch Ness Monster the $3.50 and stop the insanity!
Whut?! Ain't no Loch Ness Monsta gonna get my damn Tree Fiddy, woman!
No wonder the damn monster keeps comin' around, you keep payin' it TREE FIDDY!
I wish someone would cut my cable at home so then maybe I would be forced to get a life.
praise the almighty land of Azeroth!
F*ck 'em! dont like us, but they sure like our technology!
Sea Me We?
no friggin way
I believe this to be a Conspiracy set by the CIA.
People Overseas are now voting over the internet, and they know EVERYONE overseas is going to vote for Ron Paul (which would not be what the government wants) Thus, if they cut the cables supplying internet, their votes will magically not be counted. They say, some 6 million americans live overseas and all are allowed to vote.
Someone must be scrapping off the bottoms of the see for precious metals. Too bad it's all fiber ;)
Mynocks. Chewin' on the undersea Internet cables...
Of course the cuts are deliberate. Before this month, a line break would only ever happen once every several years in the entire world, and never more than once within a short time span. Now we get 5 cable breaks within two weeks of each other in 3 very different locations around the Middle East? Given the past history, if you do the math, the chances of this being random are roughly one in 2**35, or less than one in a billion.
The big questions are who is doing it and why.
Fool me once, shame on you!
Fool me twice shame on me!
Fool me thrice shame on uh my mamma!
Fool me quadce shame on your nanna!
Fool me quince sham
I think your cable needs to be cut...
Could it be the Nuclear Submarine Jimmy Carter is trying to tap the fiber optic lines around the world ?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Jimmy_Carter
Has info about how the sub was designed to do just that.
The 4th cable WAS NOT CUT. Communications were lost because of a power transmission problem. The cable was not damaged in any way.
Stop handing out bullshit.
I heard it was swamp gas
Wouldn't that make the 5th cable the 4th cable, hence invalidating your statement?
If only the Internet WAS a big truck and not just a series of tubes...
Got this from a Website...
Super Tuesday and the Politics of Bombing Iran
Look into my crystal ball and see if you think an attack on Iran just might be imminent.
::::::::
To quote the geo-politically savvy Sergeant Schultz "I know nothing." We should be cautious when we speculate about what might happen and how it might happen. On the other hand, readiness demands that we do all we can to foresee the future.
An old song says: "Oh people, look around you the signs are everywhere."
Tomorrow, is "Super Tuesday." The modus operandi of the Bush administration has been to totally integrate their foreign policies with their political operations. They've been threatening an attack on Iran for a very long time. Democrats, including both Obama and Clinton, badly dropped the ball when they went along with the Lieberman-Kyl amendment (Clinton voted for it and Obama abstained) that warned Iran about supporting insurgencies inside Iraq.
Right now, the timing for an attack on Iran is what we might call "Republican perfect."
What are the clues? Well, first we have the cut-off of internet connectivity throughout much of the Middle East. That's what's launched all the speculation about an imminent attack.
But there are other clues. The IAEA just issued a public statement that said progress has been made on negotiations with Iran about nuclear inspections. Is the timing coincidental or was this an effort by the IAEA to go public to stand in opposition to an attack they know is coming?
Also, we just saw reports of a major suicide bombing in Iraq. How tough would it be to issue reports that the bombers were directed by Tehran? Media coming out of Iraq is 100% under US control. They can spin any story any way they want to.
And, as stated above, tomorrow is Super Tuesday. It could be a day that puts either Obama or Clinton well out in front in the race for the nomination. Now, if you wanted to showcase John McCain on the national stage and get the country to "remember their 9/11 fears and recall those nationalistic feelings", what better time to launch an attack?
Both Obama and Clinton will be forced to "support the troops" and show that they "stand with the President" and that they won't be "soft on defense." What kind of impact do you think that will have with progressives in the Democratic Party? Because Democrats are playing politics with Iraq, when pressed, they will refuse to adhere to all their campaign rhetoric about withdrawing the troops from Iraq as quickly as possible. The Democratic candidates have no soul on Iraq. They will not stand up to do the right thing. In the end, they'll be forced to go along with attacks on Iran.
BTW, one study that was reported a few years ago showed that 55% of foreign fighters (excluding the occupying US forces of course!) come from (are you ready for this?) Saudi Arabia. Gosh, I wonder if Bush, Obama and Clinton will call for attacks on Saudi Arabia. No, I'm not serious. Their oily friends wouldn't care for that.
So, starting tomorrow (or sometime over the next week or so), the politics for attacking Iran become "Republican perfect." The Democrats have no answer; they'll completely cave in. The Democrats don't represent the will of the America people who gave them back control of the Congress. The Democrats are too pathetic for words. They won't do the right thing because they really don't endorse the anti-war agenda in their hearts.
Again, this is all just wild speculation. I don't make predictions. I just analyze history and look for patterns. This pattern looks like it's ripe for bombing runs in Iran. And the eternal war continues with no opposition party to stop it. Until we make them change, they will not change. If we keep voting for them, what incentive to change will they have?
There is only one issue on which all citizens must focus: restoring power to the people. Corporations control our agenda. They promote war. They promote laws to benefit only their shareholders. They control the puppet politicians through their campaign contributions. They control the mainstream media.
As a "recovering Democrat", I now understand that, while Democrats MIGHT be preferred to Republicans, we must not continue to support them if they will not fight for us. The Democratic Party has been totally co-opted by the pro-corporate agenda. They seek support of Big Defense, Big Pharma, Big Energy, Big Banking and Big Insurance to secure their future rather than ours.
The path to change will be a long one. If we continue to invest in "faux change Democrats", there will be no change. The only way to effect change, sadly, is to take down the Democrats. When they are unable to count on progressive support and they lose election after election, perhaps then we will truly have a seat at the table. Surely allowing them to take our votes for granted does nothing but silence us. "Shut up and send in your money" is hardly an agenda for change.
We need not demand ideological purity. We need not be inflexible on each and every issue. But we can no longer "just go along." I've left the Party. I don't plan to return anytime soon.
that's a lot of text
Better buy your tinfoil now before the Halliburton-Alcoa conspiracy comes to fruition!
Jim, come on man, just come down. DON'T JUMP! I can't help but notice that you're canned manifesto refers to Super Tuesday being tomorrow when in reality it was yesterday. Maybe next time you troll a tech blog thread with this you could change the dates around and such?
TLDR.
Well, seeing as how the US unilateral banking sanctions are sinking the IRGC and the state run banks, I doubt this is the US.
The Iran Ayatollahs have a serious problem on their hands as their people start having problems finding food on the shelves and gas at the pump. The problem is that the Ayatollahs TELL them that this is happening everywhere, but the Internet allows the to SEE the truth.
Hitler's first move was to banish books and all non-Nazi controlled information. Same with the Taliban. Same with old Russia (and probably soon the reborn old Russia). It would appear that the Ayatollahs are just following the old Mein Kompf playbook.
I wonder what your post would look like when you were sober.
I think you're answer is a little biased by what you hear of Iran from US and ... medias...
We have enough food on the shelves, and there's no problem with the gas (though it's rationed, not sure if it's the right word, we still can get enough gas, legally or illegally)
Anyways, they don't need to cut cables to disallow us from seeking truth on the internet, 'cause, first, we already know the truth, and second, with their internet filtering, everything is already filtered out... God bless VPNs and SSH tunnels!
I'm sure it's not them, and it's not the US (they have better ways to cut our internet)... but I guess no one will know who it was.
Hold up Shayan, in one of your later posts, you say you're at the state run University of Science and Technology in Tehran. That's the capital where the govn't is, and that's the last place they'd allow any shortages to appear. And you say that there are no shortages, but there is gas rationing?
Um, doesn't gas rationing equal a shortage? I mean, it's either that or allow the price to run up to 100 USD per gallon where demand would conform to the available supply. When gas is 3 USD per gallon without rationing in neighboring countries, I'm betting that would qualify as shortages in reasonable people's minds.
And by the way, I said STARTING to see shortages. Your admissions just back up what I said. And if you think the situation is miraculously going to get better with things going on there exactly as they have been..... well, there are words for people who keep doing the exact same thing and expecting the result to change.
Maybe it's 3 days after the undersea cables warranty expired.
Dell makes undersea cables now?
Good luck getting through to their tech support now. I heard their phone systems were down.
If you wanted support you'd only need to walk next door.
Dell's tech support (and to everyone's surprise) is still on!!
:-|
What the Good Al Gore giveth, the Good Al Gore taketh away.
Where are the master servers located?