Fifth Cable Cut, Iran Loses Net Connectivity

Slashdot ^ | 2/06/2008 | CmdrTaco

[sionnsar]

You may have noticed a number of stories recently about undersea cables getting cut around the world. Apparently the total is now up to 5, but the scariest part of this is that Iran is now offline. You can also read Schneier's comments on this coincidence.

[sionnsar]

February 05, 2008

Fourth Undersea Cable Failure in Middle East

The first two affected India, Pakistan, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Bahrain. The third one is between the UAE and Oman. The fourth one connected Qatar and the UAE. This one may not have been cut, but taken offline due to power issues.

The first three have been blamed on ships' anchors, but there is some dispute about that. And that's two in the Mediterranean and two in the Persian Gulf.

There have been no official reports of malice to me, but it's an awfully big coincidence. The fact that Iran has lost Internet connectivity only makes this weirder.

EDITED TO ADD (2/5): The International Herald Tribune has more. And a comment below questions whether Iran being offline has anything to do with this.

EDITED TO ADD (2/5): A fifth cut? What the hell is going on out there?

[sionnsar]

ping... ping... pi

[2banana]

No burka pics for you!

[MizSterious]

Yeah, good question. And, is it the good guys or the bad guys. I wouldn’t put it past Iran to cut itself off from the rest of the world in order to accomplish some horrific act that they don’t want reported. I can also see that cutting them off might aid the West, depending on “what’s up.” But which one of these, or even something else, I can’t even guess.

[pangenesis]

Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence.

Three times is enemy action. And FIVE!?!

The only question is, is this Al Quida, Or the NSA?

[Doctor Raoul]

Bush did it...

[Allegra]

Testing to see if I still have net capability.

And to make sure I'm logged in.

[PennsylvaniaMom]

Well Rove has to have some hobby in his retirement years...

[craig_eddy]

Rosey, is that you?

[sionnsar]

And the result is...?

[fanfan]

Glad to see you are still online.

Ping, Cindy.

[Fresh Wind]

Too many unislamic ideas have been leaking into Iran via the Internet. Mohammed didn’t have the web, why should Iranians?

[quack]

Iran doesn’t have the capability to do this.This is being done on the ocean floor at a depth of 200 feet,without anyone seeing who is doing it.

[SoothSayerONETIME]

i guess daily stonings and continued crimes against women arent bad enuff to warrant a cable cut.

[marinamuffy]

Testing...

Well, are you logged in? :)

[chs68]

La Plume de ma tante est sur la table.

REPEAT: La Plume de ma tante est sur la table.

The Eagle flies at midnight.

REPEAT: The Eagle flies at midnight.

[GOP Poet]

bookmark

[nuconvert]

It’s been off and on in Iran. The regime has been able to update their websites

[Fresh Wind]

Iran has a submarine.

[Tijeras_Slim]

You’d think the NSA would just tap in.

[Bahbah]

Glad to know you are still connected.

I wish I could figure out what the heck is going on.

[elfman2]

Seems like a good predecessor to an attack. No immediate images of baby milk factories in rubble.

[GOP Poet]

Well Rove has to have some hobby in his retirement years...

Hold Up! I thought he was busy with his weather machine. lol. Now that you mention it, he does have a lot more spare time on his hands . . . that rascally rabbit.

[billorites]

They should have bought a Mac.

[squidly]

You’d think the NSA would just tap in.

They used to tap into Soviet undersea cables. I doubt they've abandoned such practices altogether.

[milwguy]

My money is on NSA, they are probably installing some data mining technology on the lines. If we capture the info there, and offshore the analysis to say, Diego Garcia, why would we need to consult Congress or get warrants?

[r9etb]

The only question is, is this Al Quida, Or the NSA?

I'd have to say that it's probably an Islamic fundamentalist ploy. If I had to guess, I'd pin the blame on the Iranians. The internet is absolute murder for them -- there's no way for them to control the flow of information from the infidels. It reminds me a lot of the story a couple of years back, about Iran cracking down on satellite dishes.

Now ... as to "why now?" That's a pretty question. I'm thinking it's an internal thing: that Ahneedajihad is about ready to go Taleban on the Iranian people.

[Fresh Wind]

[forkinsocket]

A friend in Bahrain has had no problems with the internet so far.

[Wally_Kalbacken]

 

 

Don't f*** with me!

[squidly]

I think they’ve got about half a dozen subs.

[elfman2]

People on Belmont Club are claiming that cutting a cable is a good mechanism for concealing a tap. Once repaired, new baseline measurements of its state would include the tap.

[RDTF]

mossad?

[sourcery]

It’s the Cable Guy!

[KarlInOhio]

Tapping packet switched networks is a lot easier if you channel everything into one cable. Otherwise part of the message may be transmitted on one cable and the rest on another, requiring you to tap all the cables to be sure you can get anything.

[TheThirdRuffian]

Loose lips sink ships, everyone.

[Allegra]

The first two affected India, Pakistan, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Bahrain. The third one is between the UAE and Oman. The fourth one connected Qatar and the UAE. This one may not have been cut, but taken offline due to power issues.

Only one Gulf country seems to be unaffected for the most part.

Coincidence?

I think not.

[garyhope]

I know nothing, NUUUUTHHINNNNG!

[quack]

A sub that can go undetected in waters patrolled by US and UK ships?

Do you think they would cut the lines,which then forces a re-route of their traffic to the US and UK?All while leaving Iraq and Israel completely unaffected.

[Izzy Dunne]

This is FUD, pure and simple.

Try the link to the government of Iran. it works.

Try the traffic report that says they've lost connectivity. it shows ONE FREAKING SERVER that is not responding, the one that ITR happens to check.

Give it a rest, folks.

[garyhope]

A yellow one?

[ArrogantBustard]

Iran has submarines, as well ...

In fact, lots of folks have submarines.

[Humidston]

Well said!

[RDTF]

that doesn’t mean it isn’t being re-routed

[saganite]

Oh come on. Everyone knows it’s Israel trying to isolate the bad guys right before the big strike!

Seriously, there are some good comments on that Schneier link. I wouldn’t jump to any conclusions at thise point.

[RDTF]

that doesn’t mean it isn’t being re-routed

[Allegra]

I wish I could figure out what the heck is going on.

Yeah, we'e all trying to guess whether this is friendly, unfriendly or just some bizarre "epidemic."

[cinives]

What do you mean, no way ? The Iranian gov’t controls/owns the Iranian telco companies. Just like the Chinese, I’m sure they filter whatever they want to and deny connectivity whenever they want.

The only thing they might not totally control is satellite, and that would not be available to the average Iranian in any case.

[SE Mom]

It seems more likely it’s either the first or second- 5 cuts simply can’t be a coincidence. SO bizarre, isn’t it?

[theDentist]

...the scariest part of this is that Iran is now offline

And we should be scared because......?