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See the original image at engadget.com —

Fourth undersea cable cut near UAE, suspicions rise

engadget.com — For the fourth time in a week, an undersea communications cable in the Mediterranean Sea has apparently been cut, and while no official reports of subversion have surfaced just yet, things are beginning to get suspicious.

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  • plasticated, on 02/05/2008, -22/+360Tin foil hats on people, this is starting to look very bad!!
    • Hillsfar, on 02/05/2008, -8/+53Tin foil hats? How about divers with scuba gear? No ships in the area? They don't need ships. Just divers and good swimmers. It makes me wonder whether it's Al Qaeda... or Filipino construction workers pissed off at the virtual slavery conditions they are working under.
      • Ndiggnation, on 02/05/2008, -3/+63I've got my bets on Davy Jones..
      • hillkiwi, on 02/05/2008, -4/+46"A third cable, known as Falcon, was cut Friday morning about 55 kilometers, or 35 miles, off the coast of Dubai in the Gulf."

        One hell of a swim.
        • cawpin, on 02/05/2008, -9/+5I thought that they announced that they weren't all cut. Some of them were shut off?
        • popfrogs, on 02/05/2008, -3/+54It's not much of a swim for Seal or other covert ops that deploy from a submarine (underwater) equipped with rebreathers (no air bubbles) and the mini-sub or other propulsion device that gets them to their destination and back to the sub.
          Seriously, the chances of ***** like this happening at random are infinitesimally small. You'd have to have your head up your ass to think this kind of thing is normal.
        • jspegele, on 02/05/2008, -14/+6Correct me if I'm wrong, but 55km off shore the cable would be too deep to swim down to. The pressure would kill you.
          • portis, on 02/05/2008, -2/+13You're wrong.
          • Gryphon09, on 02/05/2008, -4/+18Yeah, incorrect. 55 km OUT, not DEEP.
          • fredtehcat, on 02/05/2008, -1/+8He didn't say 55km deep, he said at 55km off shore it would be too deep.
          • Misogyny, on 02/06/2008, -0/+8In other places you might be correct, as water depth can rapidly increase beyond the depth safe for scuba gear within miles of shore. Both the persian gulf and gulf of oman however are at max no deeper than a couple hundred feet, putting it well within safe limits for trained technical divers.
        • greenamp, on 02/05/2008, -0/+30You don't really need divers to do this you know. Subs can launch unmanned remote controlled craft to do the job. Hell, Subs were cutting under water communication lines as far back as WW2.
          • PopcornDave, on 02/06/2008, -0/+5But cutting off India cuts off customer support for the world. Who would do such a thing?
            /sarcam
      • PhireN, on 02/05/2008, -2/+38Its not Al Qaeda's style. more likely to be a government.
        • cygnus2112, on 02/06/2008, -5/+8True. They haven't beheaded anyone or used a female suicide bomber to kill civilians in markets and mosques 10,000 feet below seawater yet.
          • Memitim, on 02/06/2008, -0/+11They tried a few times but the bombers kept going 'squish' before they could reach their trigger depth.
      • Scarfy, on 02/05/2008, -1/+14I sense treachery afoot.
      • thedaylights, on 02/05/2008, -0/+8The first two were not cut by a ship's anchor.
        "The Egyptian government has said that, contrary to earlier reports, the cable could not have been cut by a ship's anchor since the breaks occurred in an area banned to shipping."
        source: http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/ story "More network cables cut in Middle East" (the link was too long for digg)
      • thedaylights, on 02/06/2008, -0/+9and...
        "One theory - that a wayward ship traveling off course because of bad weather was responsible for cutting the first two cables last week - was dismissed by the Egyptian government over the weekend.

        No ships passed the area in the Mediterranean where the cables were located, the country's Ministry of Communications said Sunday."
        from the International Herald Tribune, in case you doubt the first source
    • sockpuppets, on 02/05/2008, -8/+115Apuaman was spotted with a turban on. The justice league has been compromised.
      • LongShlong, on 02/05/2008, -19/+3Are you sure it wasn't a yamika?
        • AnarkeIncarnate, on 02/05/2008, -3/+9yarmulka, you insensitive clod (wait, this isn't slashdot)
          • LongShlong, on 02/05/2008, -11/+1Huh?

            Do you really think turban-toters have the ability to execute underwater cable cutting?
        • plainOldFool, on 02/06/2008, -1/+0oye vei
      • mmortal03, on 02/05/2008, -0/+17I didn't know Aquaman was Sikh!
      • Abyss666, on 02/05/2008, -2/+7I wonder how much a waterlogged turban would weigh?
        • GawtMilk, on 02/06/2008, -0/+2I wonder how heavy the hair the turban holds would weight.
      • ubergeek09, on 02/06/2008, -3/+2Best comment ever.
      • elcapitanp, on 02/06/2008, -2/+6LOL. Did you mean to type Apuaman (with a P?) I read it like Apu-a-man and I pictured something like Apu from the Simpsons with superhuman underwater abilities.
      • FreydNot, on 02/06/2008, -0/+1and a squishy
    • KaiSe7eN, on 02/05/2008, -6/+58This is what happens before the U.S attacks Iran so everything stays on that side of the world. We won't know anything about it. DUM DUM DUM!

      /sarcasm.......

      ....or not.
      • humperdeath, on 02/05/2008, -4/+9boobie trap one cable with a 100,000 volts of electricity. The one that cuts it gets fried, er, boiled on the spot.
        • Zecchetti, on 02/06/2008, -0/+3Actually, they are fibre optic cables
        • humperdeath, on 02/06/2008, -0/+1True, fiber cables. But I think you cannot tell from the outside, so before it is cut you don't know if there is glass inside or a hot copper wire that'll fry your ass.
    • jbenson2, on 02/05/2008, -20/+39It's like an honor killing. Some Iranian is pissed off because his daughter's photo is on the internet.
      • CorpT, on 02/05/2008, -1/+33link pls
      • Harbinger67, on 02/05/2008, -6/+41Wouldn't they just gang-rape the girl for being so immoral then?
        • bittie, on 02/05/2008, -1/+19Q: What do 9 out of 10 people find enjoyable?
          A: See above
        • dubdope, on 02/06/2008, -2/+2hey look! you finally got digged! and all you had to do was to make a totally bigoted and ignorant comment. you finally found your audience.
          congratulations!
      • dubdope, on 02/06/2008, -2/+1hey look! you finally got digged! and all you had to do was to make a totally bigoted and ignorant comment. you finally found your audience.
        congratulations!
    • CrazedLeper, on 02/05/2008, -21/+83Clearly, this is a coincidence. Debris from the Twin Towers has just reached the cables and...
      • hooksie, on 02/05/2008, -5/+18I don't understand how people don't see your sarcasm.
      • humperdeath, on 02/05/2008, -15/+3UAE (the country) had nothing to do with 9/11 events.
      • asands84, on 02/05/2008, -2/+25ahahaha

        "Debris from the twin towers" does seem to be a popular explanation for certain events, doesn't it?
        • xadhominemx, on 02/05/2008, -8/+7Well, it is part of a correct explanation for certain things.
          (Like the collapse of WTC7 for those who are, despite all of their "research," woefully uninformed)
    • 1randomguy08, on 02/05/2008, -17/+30George Bush
    • banido, on 02/05/2008, -2/+86"Communications disruption can mean only one thing: invasion!"
      • Abyss666, on 02/05/2008, -4/+1Negotiation? They've cut off all communication!
        Bad reference, I know.
      • XBSHX, on 02/05/2008, -3/+12The cloverfield monster is gnawing on the cables so we can't warn anyone.
        • GawtMilk, on 02/06/2008, -2/+8QUICK! GET THE MESSAGE OUT! THE MOVIE REALLY SUC
          • natedouglas, on 02/06/2008, -0/+9ceeded. Thank you, this has been NBC Nightly News.
    • roosterjm2k2, on 02/05/2008, -5/+13Have they ruled out natural (seismic/tectonic movement) etc causes yet?
      • humperdeath, on 02/05/2008, -2/+19or maybe Nessie went on a vacation in the Mediterranean, and got all tangled up in those lines?
        • dkern, on 02/06/2008, -0/+1I saw that flickr! If you have to hide you have something to hide. This is why Nessie hides! But I saw you!
      • dkern, on 02/05/2008, -0/+7That was the first explanation. Then a strong possibility for the second. *****- I thought none had been cut and it was propaganda to gauge public opinion (its not beyond them as history shows). Could also be showing Iran that we don't have to invade or even bomb them to reduce them to nothing.

        I think its a message- thats all.
    • ICanRead, on 02/05/2008, -8/+24The US military did it.
      Sadly they are guilty until proven innocent nowadays.
      What?
      I'm just pre-empting their defense.
    • SheilaNoya, on 02/05/2008, -2/+17I don't need to put on a tinfoil hat to know what's going on. You just wait until they restore these internet connections and Sponge Bob's face starts popping up on everyone's computer. THEN you'll know who's behind this!
      • Gryphon09, on 02/05/2008, -1/+15Seems more likely to be the work of Plankton. He REALLY wants the krabby patty formula!
    • GreenAlien, on 02/05/2008, -1/+9"For the fourth time in a week, an undersea communications cable in the Mediterranean Sea has apparently been cut"

      It's the main supplier of undersea cabling.

      Must cost a fortune to replace all that cabling. Ka-ching.
    • xadhominemx, on 02/05/2008, -1/+6It seems as if you can remove your cap- the failure was caused by a power outage:
      http://www.arabianbusiness.com/510132-internet-pro ...
      • t3soro, on 02/06/2008, -1/+5That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. A power outage cutting an undersea internet cable? I think not.
        Especially when it's the fourth one in a week.
        • xadhominemx, on 02/07/2008, -0/+1They lost data coming from the cable, and thought that it may have been cut.
    • dkern, on 02/05/2008, -1/+1http://www.youtube.com/swf/l.swf?video_id=-taU9d26 ...
    • Sogui, on 02/05/2008, -14/+1390%+ of the comments here think that this is an intentional action

      You're all wrong, you are all so quick to jump on bandwagons and make these silly assumptions. This has nothing to do with Iran, heck even the "3rd cable cut, Iran has no internet" story was marked inaccurate... but not before most of Digg was convinced that 1 bloody cable supplied Iran's internet and that this is another stupid conspiracy.

      Digg is starting to make the 9/11 truther movement look well-grounded and rational.
      • p0ss, on 02/06/2008, -7/+6it is.
      • ICanRead, on 02/06/2008, -5/+5But c'mon. Saddam and Osama were pals and they did 9-11 together and made a 100 WMD's disappear.
      • t3soro, on 02/06/2008, -2/+11Are you suggesting that all governments are so saintly that they would never do something malicious intentionally? I think you're the one being irrational here. The probability of four cables being "cut" in the same week is, for all practical matters, zero.
      • AvronC, on 02/06/2008, -1/+1And you're starting to make doucebags look like reasonable members of society. XD
    • iChainsaw, on 02/05/2008, -3/+3It appears undersea cables being cut is suddenly being monitored by media. Undersea cables being cut is not new.
    • cnot3, on 02/05/2008, -6/+10ITS CRAB PEOPLE!
    • diggimator, on 02/05/2008, -0/+5Cable in the Mediterranean Sea cut near UAE, even though UAE is nowhere near the Mediterranean. Very suspicious.
      • unitedstatians, on 02/07/2008, -0/+1UAE was affected because primary communication to Europe occurs through said route.
    • RockStrongo1, on 02/06/2008, -0/+4This is where we need dolphins with lasers to defend the cables!
    • samcrut, on 02/06/2008, -2/+7I'm thinking Bush Co. is about to invade and they want to shut off all communication in and out of Iran before they do so they can totally control the PR campaign. Once all the undersea cables are cut they'll scramble the satellite feeds and they'll bomb the remaining land lines in the first salvo. At the end of the first few hours of bombing, Iran will be a communication black hole.

      After that we'll hear stories about how they found nuclear weapons caches and manufacturing facilities. They'll tell us how our casualties are low and their smart-bombs are all striking with laser precision. Information leaked by field reporters who sneak into the war zone will contradict the official White House press releases.

      And the world will hate us more and more until we are forced to quit talking about "change" and actually overhaul our government until it's actually a government again and not the profit chasing corporation that it's become.
    • kingfoot, on 02/06/2008, -0/+1ok so im a believer that this is purposeful and an act against a country (by another country) but im not pointing fingers.

      im just here to throw up an alternative to ponder. is it possible that they are all breaking so close in time that the materials used were not stable enough so naturally they all break around the same time?
  • tbenathan, on 02/05/2008, -31/+730This is no longer suspicious - this is an act of Modern Warfare. This better be front page news in all the international papers, or else they're complicit.
    • rmw132, on 02/05/2008, -4/+335I see this as a new mission in Call of Duty 5: "Defend the cable lines"
      • Chirp08, on 02/05/2008, -1/+50id rather play the role of the guy trying to cut the cables.
        • bobbyi, on 02/05/2008, -0/+47I'd rather by the cable, trying to valiantly defend myself and maintain internet access for all.
          • natedouglas, on 02/06/2008, -0/+3And I'll be the cladding, gently enfolding and comforting you.
        • sleepwalkers, on 02/05/2008, -1/+10Pretty good, Soap, but I've seen better.
      • iruel, on 02/05/2008, -10/+6i know your heart was in the right place but i think you meant Call of Duty 6. CoD5 will be another fake CoD like 3 was. I will only acknowledge Call of Duty if it is made by Infinity Ward.
        • cannarymburns, on 02/05/2008, -3/+9what the hell are talking about?
          • cannarymburns, on 02/05/2008, -2/+10*you (sigh, i dont proofread...)
          • sleepwalkers, on 02/05/2008, -0/+7CoD3 was made by another developer, who kind of screwed it and released a "meh" game, and CoD4 was back to the Infinity Ward team and it was excellent.
          • Cerebral, on 02/05/2008, -1/+4He means what he says. The people that made the first Medal of Honor game left EA and started IW and made COD and then COD2. COD3 however was made by another company altogether and then back to IW for COD4. The game is going back to the other company for COD5.
          • cannarymburns, on 02/06/2008, -0/+2really? do i have to explain why his post is fail? because he's talking about who is developing a game that only exists in rnw132's mock up...
          • natedouglas, on 02/06/2008, -2/+2Oh, you terrible ***** geeks...
      • Sogui, on 02/05/2008, -8/+5Captain McMillan:

        OYE, YOUU BETTTA GET OVAH THAR LADDY BEFAWW THEH DUSTROY THOZ CABLES!
      • strikertp, on 02/06/2008, -0/+5COD5's going back to WWII under the direction of Treyarch = /
        So maybe defend the telephone landline?
        • GawtMilk, on 02/06/2008, -0/+1"Our Enigma machine needs six hours to decode the transmission! THEY'RE FLANKING THE LEFT! HERE'S A DISGUSTINGLY INACCURATE ROCKET LAUNCHER!"
    • Sparkster185, on 02/05/2008, -2/+41Apologies for comment abuse. Bypass the blog spam: http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/02/04/technology/ ...
      • electrichead, on 02/05/2008, -0/+16A better comment to abuse would've been the one that's on top!
        • Sparkster185, on 02/05/2008, -0/+1I know, but the comment was buried at the time.
          • MWeather, on 02/05/2008, -0/+6By you.
          • iiBeLiEvE, on 02/05/2008, -3/+2By replying to a comment close to the top, I have a higher probability of being seen!

            Crap, it's through 6 other replies =(
    • gstep, on 02/05/2008, -18/+5Actually this is terrorism.
      • StarlessKnight, on 02/05/2008, -3/+21More like sabotage. Are these cuts causing people to panic? If not, any terrorist intent has failed.
        • GeekyGerge, on 02/05/2008, -0/+19People can't check their email, wouldn't you be worried?
          • drgmdp, on 02/06/2008, -0/+2actually i'd be so happy........ i won't buy viagra anyway
        • StarlessKnight, on 02/05/2008, -0/+4GeekyGerge: There's already enough reason to be worried in the region; still, I understand what you mean. Still, this isn't a terrorist attack. Yet. Time will tell if we lose all communications with a particular area, or the region. At the moment, it's just threatening to go back to 1993-style may-as-well-walk-there speed.
        • gstep, on 02/05/2008, -0/+4I use the word terrorism very loosely. I would say right now it's to hard to tell what the motivation behind these "attacks" might be. Thanks to the networking class I took, I know the internet is extremely robust, with multiple connections to multiple points. If it did become feasible for someone to knock out an entire region for extended periods of time, then we'd have reason to worry.
        • Orion682, on 02/05/2008, -2/+3You guys seem to forget that other communication, such as voice, go over the same lines...
        • midbc, on 02/05/2008, -0/+1!!! ESPIONOTAGE !!!
    • Rikkochet, on 02/05/2008, -4/+36As the Engadget commenters pointed out, the fourth one was actually caused by a power failure, and there was also an earthquake several days prior which could have weakened the cables. There's no reason to scream terrorists just yet until they get some divers down there and complete a proper investigation.
      • t3soro, on 02/06/2008, -3/+2please explain how a "power failure" would sever an internet cable.
        • XXXXXXXXXXXXXX, on 02/06/2008, -0/+7Please explain how a tree touching a wire would cause the northeast blackout of 2003.
      • samssf, on 02/06/2008, -1/+5Terrorists? You mean Pres Bush?
      • lazlonger, on 02/06/2008, -0/+2fine. go ahead and be patient. what ARE you doing with all your time if you're not worrying about things you have limited or no information about?
    • Frnnkdlxx, on 02/05/2008, -22/+14$100 bet says it's the U.S.

      Make it $200...
      • temjrpgh, on 02/05/2008, -12/+35it's either the US or Israel. Probably Israel. The Iranian Oil Bourse is set to open this week, they are planning on trading oil there in non-dollar currencies. The Arab states are suffering from incredible inflation because of the dollar's weakness. Cutting communications will delay it's opening. I predict some move on the part of Iran and possibly also the US to prevent the market from opening. The dollar will end it's world dominance if they start trading. Russia has a vested interested in the Bourse going live, they have ships with nukes sitting in the Med. sea now. Israel has a huge stake in the US dollar. If the US dollar goes down Israel loses a lot of their pull in the middle east. I think this was the purpose for Bush's visit to the middle east. He has no political capital left to take care of this problem using nukes, so I think he's got Israel ready to pounce. Force is all that's left in the US/Israel arsenal at this point. So what do you want, a depression, or nuclear war?
        • temjrpgh, on 02/05/2008, -5/+7I'm trying to imagine a situation where a nuclear war doesn't happen and the bourse doesn't open, but I'm coming up short. I wonder if there will be surgical strike on the bourse, if so what will OPEC's reaction be? (I'm waiting of the news of a strike on Iran's 'nuclear materials plant', if you hear about it, you'll know what it really was). Russia is in on this, so the nuclear option isn't all that attractive. I can't imagine what the incentive is for the Arabs to do what the USA wants them to outside of avoiding mass destruction. It seems that's all the USA and Israel have, massive firepower, but no money left to wage war.
        • temjrpgh, on 02/06/2008, -0/+1i meant "I predict some move on the part of Israel..." above..
        • temjrpgh, on 02/06/2008, -0/+1Here's something mighty interesting.
          http://www.cyberspaceorbit.com/ConnectingTheDots.h ...
      • gstep, on 02/05/2008, -3/+14Yeah that makes perfect sense. Because it's in our best interest to not communicate efficiently with other countries. O wait...
        • NullPolarity, on 02/05/2008, -2/+9My Ron Paul sense is tingling!
          • temjrpgh, on 02/05/2008, -0/+11Good one. I'm a RP guy. I keep thinking it'd be best for America if the dollar loses it's primacy and we rekindle our 'savings culture' and start some competing regional currencies (you heard me Vermont and NH!). We could shed this corporate government and do some real work and development of our country, stick to our constitution, and live our lives. I'm sicki of this federal government and empire.
        • MWeather, on 02/05/2008, -4/+3We haven't communicated with Iran since 1979.
      • robman8023, on 02/05/2008, -1/+2I'll take that bet...I'll contact you once/if they solve the mystery to give you my paypal address.
      • Mesmorize, on 02/06/2008, -1/+2Oops you just lost $200.
    • adventuresof, on 02/05/2008, -4/+18Why? As others have posted there's absolutely no evidence anywhere that the cables were cut maliciously.

      It isn't even really having a huge effect on the countries involved- they've lost capacity but the internet is still up in the affected countries, and to my knowledge phone service hasn't been affected at all. In the long run this is basically an incredibly minor issue- why do you think it's a signal of war?
      • ICanRead, on 02/05/2008, -4/+0I think it's preparation.
        It's this constant preparation that causes all the problems.

        I wonder what the law is over these waters...
      • dlk289, on 02/05/2008, -2/+0Were probably jumping to conclusions on this one, but going back to the 56k days because someone or something cuts 4 cables is a big deal especially for business
      • Genady, on 02/05/2008, -1/+4Yeah? What are the chances that Iran's internet lines now run through rooms with NSA equipment in them? Better, worse or same?
    • redwire, on 02/05/2008, -0/+6Once happenstance.
      Twice coincidence.
      Three times enemy action.

      Four times? erm slow learning?
    • warriorscot, on 02/05/2008, -0/+3The earthquake had nothing to do with it, if its sabotage they are doing a really bad job.
    • aiken, on 02/06/2008, -0/+1Ok, so it's Modern Warfare, capital abuse and all. Who's fighting? Which side cut the cables? Why didn't they take credit for it? What are they hoping to gain?

      It's fun to make it dramatic and all, but "it's obvious" is a terrible way to support an argument. Tell us who, and why, and then you'll have a real live point.
    • IareKEVLAR, on 02/06/2008, -0/+2We need Wireless...
      • catbeller, on 02/06/2008, -0/+1Wireless internet a la CB radio -- with NO corporate control or ownership of the bandwidth.
    • ggfobster, on 02/06/2008, -0/+1Absolutely right about the mainstream media.
    • homestar2525, on 02/06/2008, -0/+1Complicit with what/who? We don't know who is doing this.
      • SuperWinner, on 02/06/2008, -0/+1What if its Anonymous declaring war on Iran?
    • tamuengineer, on 02/06/2008, -0/+1I have no idea who is cutting these cables but if it is intentional then the plan must not be to cut off communication as anyone should know that it will simply be re-routed.

      I do wonder however, what if that is the plan, to re-route the communication. Maybe it is easier to tap into the lines that it will be rerouted through? Just a thought.
      • DaveKnowsTalent, on 02/07/2008, -0/+1The plan is just to make people fear what is going to happen next....
        Fear is what drives the lies of this world.... For those few with understanding, who is the father of fear & lies?
  • ronin691, on 02/05/2008, -50/+34Teh spooks, day iz at werk http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mussad
    • neko6, on 02/05/2008, -12/+20Makes no sense, Israel's industry is highly dependent on Internet, cutting lines leading to their region would be economic suicide.

      But of course, its no fun blaming weird stuff on Muslim countries (that routinely ban the internet as a whole or vast parts of it). Blaming it on them evil jooz seems to be much more fun.
      • Dantetheinferno, on 02/05/2008, -0/+14Doesn't Israel have it's own internet cable going through Europe and not undersea?
        • Winston84, on 02/05/2008, -3/+11Yes they do and Israel has not been affected by this. Neither has Iraq btw..
          Figure it out yourselves .
    • rentmitchum, on 02/05/2008, -0/+11..it was crab people.
    • nirav72, on 02/05/2008, -1/+4Isreal's primary feed comes out of southern europe and there are several redundent lines in place. That is why isreal hasn't witness any loss of connectivity.
    • miketherazor, on 02/05/2008, -27/+3Anti-Semite ***** head
      • Nizza, on 02/05/2008, -1/+11Yeah, that doesn't work anymore.
      • MWeather, on 02/05/2008, -1/+17The only difference between an Arab and a Jew is religion. They're about as different as the Scottish and the Irish.
        • insertAliasHere, on 02/05/2008, -4/+3You're right, but tell that to a Palestinian or an Israeli. See what kind of response you get.
      • Ribbed4U, on 02/06/2008, -0/+2Yes, that is logical. Let's never criticize Israel for anything. Because that would be anti-semitic to accuse them of foul play.
  • coyoteblue, on 02/05/2008, -14/+395I would say this is nothing if
    A) this sort of thing had happened before
    B) it was spread out all over the globe and
    C) if there hadn't been cables like this lying undisturbed for over 100 years

    somethings goin on
    • HerrEisenheim, on 02/05/2008, -19/+64This sort of thing has happened before. Not to this degree. IIRC, there was a big failure with some lines from the US to Japan and mainland Asia a while ago.

      And these cables have hardly been lying undisturbed for over 100 years. The transistor wasn't even invented until 1947, and there really wasn't much you could do before that. We were still using tubes and radio before that. The data cables we use today are all fiber, and the first fiber systems were pioneered by AT&T's Bell Labs in the late 1970's. That probably didn't even start rolling until the around 1985. So really, we haven't seem something like this in the last 20 years. You were only off by a factor of five though.
      • PolarisX, on 02/05/2008, -28/+4Read before you try to bash someone. The OP was saying that this WOULDN'T be suspicious if (reasons) they were lying undisturbed for 100 years. So, since they haven't, this is suspicious because there can't really be erosion.
        • screensnot, on 02/05/2008, -2/+18You're the one who missed his meaning.
        • Metellus, on 02/05/2008, -8/+2Read before you try to bash someone for not reading before they try to bash someone. The OP was saying that this wouldn't be suspicious "if there HADN'T been cables like this lying undisturbed for over 100 years." The implication being that the cables had been undisturbed with no problems for 100 years already.
      • LeRenard, on 02/05/2008, -1/+21"The transistor wasn't even invented until 1947, and there really wasn't much you could do before that" Yes, they might as well have packed it in, since technological innovation was impossible without the transistor. The transistor did nothing that was new or special. It's talent was being small..otherwise tubes could do just about the same things. The first cables run to the middle east were laid in the late 1800s, and if the cables in question were copper telephony cables, they could have been laid circa 1950 or so.
        • HerrEisenheim, on 02/06/2008, -3/+2But they aren't. We are talking about data lines. We are talking about fiber.

          And the transistor was nothing new or special? Guess you've never seen a tube. The entire world of technology we take for granted is thanks to the transistor. It may be the single most important invention since electricity itself. If you were to try to make something like a modern notebook out of tubes it would probably be the size of... you know, it be so massive I can't even wrap my head around it.
        • saranagati, on 02/06/2008, -0/+1So many parts of your comment to reply to but i think i'll just pick one... i can never remember, who was it that invented electricity?
      • screensnot, on 02/05/2008, -2/+24You don't need the transistor to make use of an underwater cable that connects two continents. And I'm sure there was telegraph lines running from N. America to Europe before WW1.

        A tube and a transistor do the same job.
      • skifreak107, on 02/05/2008, -1/+29Actually, the first undersea cable across the Atlantic was laid in the 1860's. Just because these particular cables are used for the Internet and what not doesn't mean that there were not cables before it (some even still in working order, though not used for obvious reasons).
      • thedaylights, on 02/05/2008, -1/+13We all know that the internet is a series of tubes, ok? Let's not argue the point and clog them up with our pixels.
    • brp1264, on 02/05/2008, -0/+23Herr is correct.

      In fact, this kind of thing happens more often than you think. The thing that doesn't happen often is this many cuts on this many cables in such close proximity. Usually, the cables are run with rings and traffic is rerouted automatically and immediately, to the point where the normal person can't even tell that anything has happened.
      • catbeller, on 02/06/2008, -0/+1The cables are dozens of miles apart. This does not happen at all, not in clusters and not so close together. Something is happening, someone is up to something.
    • brutusx, on 02/05/2008, -11/+2RE: C) if there hadn't been cables like this lying undisturbed for over 100 years
      ORLY?
      100 year old fiber optic cables?
      This is creepy as hell though!
    • Drakoola, on 02/05/2008, -0/+8The key word in 'C)' is 'like this', he isn't talking about these specific cables, just cables underwater in general.
    • captnkurt, on 02/05/2008, -1/+23Crap... Sorry guys, I think that was me. I was walking past and my shoe accidentally kicked the plug out of the wall that was labeled UNDERSEA ARAB INTERNETS! DO NOT TOUCH!!! I can go back and plug it in again when I get back from Arby's if you want me to.
    • sporg, on 02/05/2008, -6/+80. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _________
      . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ./ It’s a trap!
      . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _,,,--~~~~~~~~--,_ . . . . ._________/
      . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,-‘ : : : :::: :::: :: : : : : :º ‘-, . . /. . . . . . . . . .
      . . . . . . . . . . . . .,-‘ :: : : :::: :::: :::: :::: : : :o : ‘-, . . . . . . . . . .
      . . . . . . . . . . . ,-‘ :: ::: :: : : :: :::: :::: :: : : : : :O ‘-, . . . . . . . . .
      . . . . . . . . . .,-‘ : :: :: :: :: :: : : : : : , : : :º :::: :::: ::’; . . . . . . . .
      . . . . . . . . .,-‘ / / : :: :: :: :: : : :::: :::-, ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ; . . . . . . . .
      . . . . . . . . /,-‘,’ :: : : : : : : : : :: :: :: : ‘-, ;; ;; ;; ;; ;; ;;| . . . . . . .
      . . . . . . . /,’,-‘ :: :: :: :: :: :: :: : ::_,-~~,_’-, ;; ;; ;; ;; | . . . . . . .
      . . . . . _/ :,’ :/ :: :: :: : : :: :: _,-‘/ : ,-‘;’-‘’’’’~-, ;; ;; ;;,’ . . . . . . . .
      . . . ,-‘ / : : : : : : ,-‘’’ : : :,--‘’ :|| /,-‘-‘--‘’’__,’’’ ;; ;,-‘ . . . . . . . .
      . . . :/,, : : : _,-‘ --,,_ : : : ||/ /,-‘-‘x### :: ;;/ . . . . . . . . . .
      . . . . / /---‘’’’ : # : : : : : | | : (O##º : :/ /-‘’ . . . . . . . . . . .
      . . . . /,’____ : : ‘-# : , : : : : ‘-,___,-‘,-`-,, . . . . . . . . . . .
      . . . . ‘ ) : : : :’’’’--,,--,,,,,,¯ :: ::--,,_’’-,,’’’¯ :’- :’-, . . . . . . . . .
      . . . . .) : : : : : : ,, : ‘’’’~~~~’ :: :: :: :’’’’’¯ :: ,-‘ :,/ . . . . . . . . .
      . . . . .,/ /|| | :/ / : : : : : : : ,’-, :: :: :: :: ::,--‘’ :,-‘ . . . . . . . .
      . . . . .’| |/ ‘/ / :: :_--,, : , | )’; :: :: :: :,-‘’ : ,-‘ : : : , . . . . . . .
      . . . ./¯ :| | : |/ :: ::----, :/ :|/ :: :: ,-‘’ : :,-‘ : : : : : : ‘’-,,_ . . . .
      . . ..| : : :/ ‘’-(, :: :: :: ‘’’’’~,,,,,’’ :: ,-‘’ : :,-‘ : : : : : : : : :,-‘’’ . . . .
      . ,-‘ : : : | : : ‘’) : : :¯’’’’~-,: : ,--‘’’ : :,-‘’ : : : : : : : : : ,-‘ :¯’’’’’-,_ .
      ./ : : : : :’-, :: | :: :: :: _,,-‘’’’¯ : ,--‘’ : : : : : : : : : : : / : : : : : : :’’-,
      / : : : : : -, :¯’’’’’’’’’’’¯ : : _,,-~’’ : : : : : : : : : : : : : :| : : : : : : : : :
      : : : : : : :¯’’~~~~~~’’’ : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : | : : : : : : : : :
    • Mikhail101, on 02/06/2008, -2/+2also they were only outgoing to the middleast, its not like it happend to America.
      • Skrank, on 02/06/2008, -1/+1I don't know about your line of work, but happening to the middle east is happening to America for me......considering the outsourcing in the industry these days. More work for me.... just what I needed.
    • 0011002, on 02/06/2008, -0/+5these cables being close to each other ( i know miles but still) could potently point to tectonic plate movement which is always happening to some degree. So these cables being in the same region is understandable. but yeah lets all be blaming a conspiracy instead.
      • wicked6, on 02/06/2008, -0/+1Funny, that's the first thing I thought. I mean--Hello!--Occam's Razor over some terrorist with a laser. :)
  • notjustmii, on 02/05/2008, -9/+309Fourth time in one week really makes you wonder if it is intentional.
    • romistrub, on 02/05/2008, -1/+83I don't know why, but I laughed at this. Seems like the understatement of the century ;)
    • mightydavefish, on 02/05/2008, -4/+113No, fourth time in a week is CONFIRMATION it's intentional.
      • notthemama, on 02/05/2008, -1/+36Exactly. People should have been getting suspicious when it was 2, and a lot more so when it was 3.
        • thcobbs, on 02/05/2008, -1/+35I bet most intelligence services were suspicious after the FIRST one.
        • Winston84, on 02/05/2008, -1/+14Hell yeah, one or two even BEFORE the first one !
          Did the BBC also report this before it happened ?
          • thedaylights, on 02/05/2008, -0/+10You mean like they reported the fall of WTC7 before it fell?
      • elipabst, on 02/05/2008, -5/+9RTFA. It says it *could* be a cut OR it could be a power failure. So it doesn't confirm anything.
    • StarlessKnight, on 02/05/2008, -0/+32The second time made people wonder, the third was down right suspicious, and the fourth is outright obvious.
    • hillkiwi, on 02/05/2008, -0/+58"Once is an accident. Twice is coincidence. But three times, Mr Bond, is enemy action."
    • theaceoffire, on 02/05/2008, -1/+25Meh, I won't believe it untill it happens (num++) times.
    • NYankee2003, on 02/05/2008, -0/+1Keep digging Watson!
    • Virgule, on 02/06/2008, -0/+2first: oh crap
      second: oh really?
      third: yeah right...
      fourth: ***** YOU
  • scamerica, on 02/05/2008, -41/+412.
    • Kumah, on 02/05/2008, -15/+314Don't know why I dugg you up. Something about that little pixel reminded me of just how small I am compared to the whole universe.
      • macbookpromat, on 02/05/2008, -6/+62***** man that's deep, it's the type of thing one of my friends would say under the influence of certain substances.
        • FLarsen, on 02/05/2008, -1/+47Maybe he IS under the influence of a certain substance, and maybe he even is your friend. You can't really know.
        • xkingADROCKx, on 02/06/2008, -0/+8Maybe he is.... you
        • stackered, on 02/06/2008, -1/+3Or maybe he is... me? Or all of us? Woah.....
      • Hoov, on 02/06/2008, -0/+5Nerd-Stoner Logic
    • calon9, on 02/05/2008, -7/+294I dugg you up because I know that your full comment would've been there, had it not been for cut undersea internet cables.
    • fliguy84, on 02/05/2008, -21/+7I agree wholeheartedly to your comment.
    • oduska, on 02/05/2008, -4/+199Good point.
    • paintpro, on 02/05/2008, -8/+111Buried for making me think I had a dead pixel.
  • The_Wallbanger, on 02/05/2008, -9/+112NSA routing all Mid-East traffic through their gates?
    • yellowcakewalk, on 02/05/2008, -5/+41NSA or perhaps the new "agency-without-a-name".
      • Rahodeb, on 02/05/2008, -2/+47The one hiding Megatron in the Hoover Dam?!
      • NodOfficer, on 02/05/2008, -1/+0Or an obscure random 3 letter agency. Take some letters and mash them together.
      • EXTER, on 02/05/2008, -0/+3There is No Such Agency.
    • Buelldozer, on 02/05/2008, -1/+11They don't need to cut the fiber optic lines in order to splice into them. The US developed a "bend 'n' sand" refraction technique for this. Look elsewhere.
      • AirRaven, on 02/05/2008, -1/+4Which raises an interesting point, if we're working upon the assumption that the NSA or equivalent is behind it - was said technique a double bluff?
      • Firehed, on 02/05/2008, -1/+6I suspect it's a little harder to do while underwater. If that's what they're attempting, 'reckless' fails to describe four failed attempts in a week which all result in massive infrastructure failure in similar locations.
        • Buelldozer, on 02/05/2008, -1/+6They have a specially built submarine and specially trained teams just for doing this stuff. They can do it without cutting the cable.
        • chromerium, on 02/05/2008, -4/+4its obvious that the intent here is not to tap into them, but to cut them, deliberately. Current theories up for grabs, its

          a) terrorists who want to free the muslim nations from the tyranny of the internet (not likely, as they find it pretty useful as a communications medium)

          b) US Government (or Israel? Unlikely imho) trying to delay the Iranian Oil Bourse opening (pretty likely, imho).

          c) The US Military has decided to deny the internet to Iran and the terrorists in the Middle East. http://digg.com/world_news/US_plans_to_fight_the_n ...

          I'm leaning towards B, if only because they would have done this 7 years ago if it was C.
          • chromerium, on 02/06/2008, -0/+3What the hell? Digg me down? ITS A CIA CONSPIRACY.
        • petard, on 02/05/2008, -0/+5Why is it unlikely that Israel would do it and likely that the USA would?
      • ejkitchen, on 02/06/2008, -1/+2You cannot do what you say with underwater cables. That technique is for underground/above ground cables where you can gain access to the individual fiber cables. If you look at the picture above, that's some mighty thick coating that protects the cables inside. No can do. You need to simulate a breach somewhere while you cut the cable elsewhere and re-assemble it. If you are unsuccessful (because of the depth and conditions you are working at), then you must do it again. This is not something most countries have the budget and expertise to do. And by the way, had it just been a cable breach, the company would have simply stated something like "oh yeah, we got a rupture 5 miles off of the coast at this depth for this reason". Also keep in mind that the companies that lay these fiber cables provide enough length and loops to allow for "stretching". Also stories about anchors pulling these are foolish at best. the odds of getting a ship of a certain size to pull that thing from the sea floor and rip it are slim. It would take a really big anchor to pull that cable. But even at that, the anchor would have to drag at an angle steep enough to pick up the cable when pulled in. Most large ships don't pull on their anchors at an angle. They let the anchor pull them to resting spot and then they pull up (it puts too much pressure on the winch otherwise).
    • dognose, on 02/05/2008, -0/+19"Many ISPs began switching traffic east instead of west. Data from India to Europe might thus first pass through East Asia, across the Pacific, through the United States, and across the Atlantic Ocean before reaching its destination."
    • orca94, on 02/06/2008, -1/+3Not even the NSA would ***** up a covert job this badly. If it was a "spy" type job, whoever did it is about as good a spy as James Bond.
  • BohicaTwentyTwo, on 02/05/2008, -63/+657I M IN UR SEEZ, CUTTIN UR KABLES
  • JSKYs, on 02/05/2008, -27/+534It's the Scientologist.
    there trying to cut off Anonymous.....
    • rhabd0mancer, on 02/05/2008, -8/+50And they will FAIL.

      Anonymous is everywhere.
      • macbookpromat, on 02/05/2008, -1/+18It's in my raccoon wounds!
        • davidkeithjones, on 02/05/2008, -0/+9Hes in my Cheerios, of course I don't know about for days until he posts the ownage on YouTube.
      • volonix, on 02/06/2008, -0/+2***** OFF YOU ARE RUINING ANON!
    • DemDude, on 02/05/2008, -2/+5+y +'
      There you go, all done.
    • dickzorz, on 02/05/2008, -6/+4I have a strange feeling that it's an act of retaliation from scientologists. They are trying to stop my lulz. Anonycat iz nawt emuszed.
    • Triterion, on 02/05/2008, -2/+5LOL best comment of the week in my book
    • Azselendor, on 02/05/2008, -2/+4It's funny you bring that up because doesn't Scientology own a private navy of cruise ships.


      Besides, they'll never find anon. Why? because Anon is hiding in the place so massively empty that you could never find them in there.

      Anon is in Tom Cruise's empty skull
    • Oryx, on 02/06/2008, -5/+3ROTFLMFAO (DUGG)
    • Tyrghast, on 02/06/2008, -1/+3funny, but why do digg users have some of the most atrocious spelling a grammar...
    • KikoCy, on 02/06/2008, -1/+1where?
    • igob8a, on 02/07/2008, -0/+1*they're
  • GeorgeWKush, on 02/05/2008, -5/+60Life, liberty and the pursuit of Internet.
  • paintpro, on 02/05/2008, -68/+16My internet connection is working just fine. Why do I care?
    • paintpro, on 02/05/2008, -7/+73Easy tiger, I was joking. And to correct you, I am a LAZY, gluttonous, egotistical American. As such, I believe that voting takes to much effort. I will abstain and then complain about the outcome. Now if you will excuse me I have some doritos to eat while pretending to work.
      • mightydavefish, on 02/05/2008, -4/+23LOL
        Looks like you need to spell the humor out for some people.
      • sockpuppets, on 02/05/2008, -3/+15I raise my latte to you, Sir.
      • hillkiwi, on 02/05/2008, -2/+17It's funny because the majority of people reading this are pretending to work (myself included).
        • wingo123, on 02/05/2008, -0/+10Guilty as charged. And someone brought donuts today. Score.
      • pintomp3, on 02/05/2008, -5/+2god damn it, now i have to hit the vending machine to get doritos.
  • hove, on 02/05/2008, -18/+5This does look very bad, but who would be this obvious?
    • mightydavefish, on 02/05/2008, -4/+17Yes, who would blatantly do something that would affect millions or billions of people with no regard for them?
      And who would have the ability to hide it?
      Man, that is a real short list.
      • noahhoward, on 02/05/2008, -3/+2Hide what? It's all over the internet, that isn't exactly hidden.
        • Claverhouse, on 02/05/2008, -1/+2Well, it's hidden where the internet is offline due to cable accidents...
        • aliceinreality, on 02/06/2008, -0/+2actually, you might be surprised how little the average person knows about things that are happening. i am consistently amazed at how out of touch with current events people really are. i would wager that about 15-20% of the American populace is aware of this; most people will only find out if it DOES turn out to be something malicious.
      • Claverhouse, on 02/05/2008, -0/+1"He is a man of good birth and excellent education, endowed by nature with a phenomenal mathematical faculty. At the age of twenty-one he wrote A Treatise on the Binomial Theorem, which has had a European vogue. On the strength of it he won the mathematical chair at one of our smaller universities, and had, to all appearances, a most brilliant career before him..."
    • EXreaction, on 02/05/2008, -1/+3Somebody who just wants to get ***** done instead of making it look like an accident.
    • fotodevil, on 02/05/2008, -1/+6If it is so blatantly obvious, why are you asking who would do it?
      • LokitheComplex, on 02/05/2008, -0/+3I presume he means it's obvious that it was intentional not who the culprit is.
  • romistrub, on 02/05/2008, -4/+390Engadget comment sums this up perfectly, I think:

    "First time is an accident. Second time as a coincidence. Third time it's a conspiracy.

    So what does that make the fourth time - profit???"
    • SteelChicken, on 02/05/2008, -1/+75war
    • sp3kter, on 02/05/2008, -2/+72war = profit
      redundant
      • nazsco, on 02/05/2008, -0/+2war means profit.
        peace means profit.
      • Pureeviljester, on 02/06/2008, -0/+2so why is the US getting broke with the war in Iraq?

        money going into the wrong pockets i suppose.
    • Firehed, on 02/05/2008, -0/+6I'd call it an information warfare attack, but I could also put on my dunce hat and say it's n-th degree carelessness.
    • povv, on 02/05/2008, -1/+7fourth time - addiction
      • Azselendor, on 02/05/2008, -0/+64th time is for ***** and giggles.
    • Logicexe, on 02/05/2008, -1/+24I'll say it again

      A communication disruption can mean only one thing, invasion.
      • ElAssoWipo, on 02/05/2008, -1/+3Too bad for those pesky telephones, faxes, radios, satellites, etc.
      • Iconoclast25, on 02/05/2008, -0/+5Or a dry run in that respect. Most international communications span the oceans. If there is something which screws up the atmospheric communications and the "land lines" truly become *land only, ending at the water's edge, lines,* then there is certainly the strong possibility of a military incentive. In the 21st Century, couriers and carrier pigeons are not going to be terribly useful for communications.
      • Logicexe, on 02/05/2008, -1/+14Were you guys taking me seriously? I was just quoting Star Wars :p
        • Iconoclast25, on 02/06/2008, -1/+3Just because you quote a line from a film doesn't make the line any less valid in the appropriate context. It may not be an "invasion" per se, but certainly this seems be happening far too often not to be a trial run of some kind if not actually a lead up to some serious ***** somewhere in that part of the world.
          • Logicexe, on 02/06/2008, -0/+2Oh I definitely agree that it's suspicious. I personally won't make any opinion either way right now since we basically have no information, all we can do is speculate and quote our favorite movies.
    • NiNiCraftOne, on 02/05/2008, -0/+4Probably just those damned satellite communications companies trying to drum up new business again .....
    • stackered, on 02/06/2008, -0/+3First time = suspicious. Second time = obviously planned. Third time = ok... stop now. Fourth time = all I know is I better not lose my porn this week.
    • BFisch06, on 02/06/2008, -0/+1double conspiracy
    • BasicShape, on 02/06/2008, -0/+1Fourth is a campaign.- according to Cheney.
    • MacSuxWindozSux, on 02/06/2008, -0/+1Old Army Saying:
      First time is bad luck, second time is coincidence, third time is enemy action.
  • Philmer, on 02/05/2008, -45/+3There is something about this on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJYRHA0
    I dunno whats going on....
  • YouEEEeeediot, on 02/05/2008, -7/+437Hear that sound? It's the collective LOL from the people who have had their jobs outsourced.
    • 3tcp, on 02/05/2008, -17/+5It's a zionist, CIA & AFL-CIO conspiracy!
    • FleetAdmiral, on 02/05/2008, -3/+13YouEEEeeediot, Best comment ever written!
    • hillkiwi, on 02/05/2008, -0/+15That's a great point. If this happens frequently and outsourcing becomes unreliable, companies would have to pull their jobs back home. Or at least have backups on call over here.
      • satanswetnipple, on 02/05/2008, -5/+4But the reverse is also true. A large percentage of international web sites and services are hosted in USA. If the lines to and from USA become unreliable, why would a company chose to host in USA? Americans never seem to consider the jobs that are moved to USA for convenience (tax, time zone, networking etc.) from other countries.
        • Donwangugi, on 02/05/2008, -0/+3The lines to and from the US, the ones connecting New York to Europe, Florida to South America and California to China, have not been touched.

          But I do see what you mean what with that massive internet crowd in UAE being separated from the internet. OH NOS.
      • Radian, on 02/05/2008, -0/+4*IF* outsourcing becomes unreliable? Have you ever been on the receiving end of a project from Bangalore? Don't even get me started on China....
    • SimonSezz, on 02/05/2008, -0/+8I'm one of those laughing.
  • martinherrera, on 02/05/2008, -3/+7wow, time for the Quintuple Redundant Path to go live
  • swrostmore, on 02/05/2008, -4/+144During the crackdown in Burma/Myanmar, the only way information was able to be released from the country was through the internet. From the tinfoil hat perspective, cutting these cables would be in preparation for some sort of atrocity, the coverup of which could only be accomplished if the civilian population of the target country had no way to disseminate news about what was happening.
    • HiKevinRose, on 02/05/2008, -18/+9Something effing awesome is about to happen. o_O
    • bundwallah, on 02/05/2008, -1/+35BINGO!! That's what I was thinking but you beat me to it. Cutting of the internet, phones etc is going to seriously impede information flow. Something bad is going to happen. What? I'm not sure. If you ask me, this stinks.
    • defwheezer, on 02/05/2008, -2/+25The nuclear scenario in Iran (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UMomtDHieo) would be one such possible "atrocity" that could conceivably be partially "hidden" from popular view by interrupting data communications to the gulf region. The war games recently completed in the gulf indicate the imminent retaliatory destruction of the 5th fleet (http://www.voltairenet.org/article153013.html) in any attack on Iran. Maybe this is a dry run to see how data interruption to the region is circumvented, to help make the "real" one a much more effective component of an overall military campaign.
      • DarkprinceArmon, on 02/05/2008, -0/+1perhaps...
      • df12, on 02/05/2008, -0/+8Yeah cause once communication is restored no one will remember there was a bunch of people living in that area, and it didn't always glow.
        • defwheezer, on 02/06/2008, -0/+4Of course it's not that simple- but with limited and tightly controlled info, another "incident at Sea" between the US Navy and Iranian Navy or RG units could much more easily be manipulated to hood wink the public just long enough to cement a pretext for all out war.
    • heystoopid, on 02/05/2008, -1/+11Unfortunately you have forgotten about satellite up links attached to all embassy buildings which just happen to operate a separate but independent open wireless network plus all diplomats have been carrying around a number of Motorola Iridium phones too !

      Nice theory but a bit short on facts !
      • swrostmore, on 02/05/2008, -1/+1There's a few countries in the Mediterranean area where we don't have embassies...
      • Genady, on 02/05/2008, -4/+2An organization that can cut undersea cables can probably manage to disable satellite communications via jamming don't you think?
        • Nac85, on 02/06/2008, -0/+1Hell yes, they are going to be using raspberry jam.
        • mesasone, on 02/06/2008, -0/+1Raspberry! There's only one man who would dare give me the raspberry: Lone Starr!
    • Chirp08, on 02/05/2008, -0/+10***** i was planning on sleeping tonight
  • YouEEEeeediot, on 02/05/2008, -2/+14I wonder how the telecom companies will squirm out of their SLAs with customers? I know I'd be looking for penalties if I had 40ms latency sensitive mainframe applications that all the sudden were forced to run at 400ms (if they are lucky).
    • Firehed, on 02/05/2008, -3/+9400ms? I'd say they're into hour- or day-length latencies.
      • EruLabs, on 02/05/2008, -0/+3uh. No. This is the internet were talking about. Some dude somewhere wrote a "ip route static" line somewhere. Thats about it.
  • amightywind, on 02/05/2008, -45/+15Looks like them muslim boys are up to some mischief.
    • MBX1, on 02/05/2008, -16/+14You mean Israel...
      The only one (aside of iraq) not affected by this over there.
      • 9Digits, on 02/05/2008, -12/+16Maybe they're just a little smarter than the rest over there, and know the value of not relying on a single source?

        No - I'm sure it's easier to just blame the Jews for everything, isn't it?
        • MBX1, on 02/05/2008, -5/+14Well, look at how much Israel controls the US and it's middle east policies. Israel is desperately trying to drag the US into another war with Iran. Now it seems like they want to do it themselves. Who knows, maybe this undersea cables thing has nothing to do with it but it wouldn't surprise me if the mossad was behind it.
          • amightywind, on 02/05/2008, -6/+5Nothin' like a little jew hating, hmm? Come on psychos, keep digging him up.
          • MBX1, on 02/05/2008, -1/+8I don't hate jews.

            Unfortunately every time someone criticizes or suspects Israel in something like this he's being called anti-semite and jew-hater.
    • nblsavage, on 02/05/2008, -4/+7"Hey, let's cut our own connection to the Internet, that will show the infidels!"
  • tuxidomasx, on 02/05/2008, -16/+109it'd be awesome if it was somehow part of the Cloverfield viral marketing campaign.
    • davidkeithjones, on 02/05/2008, -2/+21They would have to make about 100 movies to pay for all the lawsuits, but ya, good idea!
      • Azselendor, on 02/05/2008, -0/+5fake a real monster attack? my dear sir, it is worth every penny.
    • DefaultGen, on 02/05/2008, -2/+7That would almost be as bad as the Aqua Teen pipe bombs in Boston.
      • gtsoundcrew, on 02/06/2008, -0/+1Pipe bombs?? Hmm... Thats pretty inaccurate.. Unless L.E.D.'s and an AA battery make a pipe bomb.

        Oceania has always been at war with Eurasia....
    • luke16, on 02/05/2008, -1/+1I LOVE YOU BETH!!! ='(
  • rmccs0x, on 02/05/2008, -7/+321*****, its a lobster revolution!
    • dshPls, on 02/05/2008, -4/+17Cloverfield much? They've taken the viral marketing campaign alittle too far...
      • DAppammattoxx, on 02/06/2008, -0/+2someone hasn't read accelerando
    • fridenstrom, on 02/05/2008, -1/+24It's the Crab People !
    • rhabd0mancer, on 02/05/2008, -0/+9Keep an eye out for the Mobile Oppression Palace.
    • davidkeithjones, on 02/05/2008, -3/+22*clears throat* I for one welcome our new lobster overlords.
      • Waterrat, on 02/05/2008, -1/+7Only if they come with melted butter and garlic...
    • Tryptomine, on 02/05/2008, -0/+2Ah ha! Now the rubber band is on the other claw!
    • nxxoxxn, on 02/06/2008, -0/+0CRAB BATTLE CRAB BATTLE
    • IareKEVLAR, on 02/06/2008, -0/+1ROCK LOBSTER
    • GIScope, on 02/06/2008, -1/+1DAMN YOU PEOPLE!! Can't you see?! It's all part of Cloverfield advertisement! pffffff
    • dhughes, on 02/06/2008, -0/+2 Butter red than fed ...er I mean better dead than red.
  • centran, on 02/05/2008, -16/+9Didn't they look at tapes and proved no ships where near the cables?
    If that is true then who is doing this and where did they get the submarine? I would imagine it would need to be military class to be able to stay under water for a length of time. But I don't know how deep these cables where cut. It could have been divers with those propeller sub things that you hang on to.
    • Chode2235, on 02/05/2008, -4/+15Dude, you watch too much James Bond.
    • Suricou, on 02/05/2008, -5/+1To cut the cables, you need: A fishing boat. Thats it. Drop the anchor, get the engines on full, and drag it until you snag something. The backhoes of the seas. Scuba would work fine for the shallow costal parts (Diver and boltcutters), but any boat with an anchor could go further out. A submarine is overkill.
      • centran, on 02/05/2008, -0/+1They had video tapes of where one of the cables where cut(the third one) and no boat was in the area for 12 hours before to 12 hours after.
    • FearLess77, on 02/06/2008, -0/+1Who says its a *who* (the pronoun referring to a person), you are making a jump in logic; you first have to establish that it was !human..
  • Etchii, on 02/05/2008, -9/+4checkpoints in the "tubes"
  • Kreigster, on 02/05/2008, -17/+9Cloverfield monster is down there.
    • BlueJeanBaby, on 02/05/2008, -6/+3So I am not the only one thinking this as well... lmao...
  • lnlogauge, on 02/05/2008, -3/+86The 4th time in a week, yet its just now raising suspicions?
  • ekeup, on 02/05/2008, -17/+3Russian submarines FTW
    • BFisch06, on 02/06/2008, -0/+1I don't think they can make it that far... China on the other hand.....
  • Kumah, on 02/05/2008, -13/+20Why?
    The Loudest reporter in the world is a blogger. Silence the bloggers and you silence the news. Silence the news and you can do whatever you want.
    • Professr, on 02/05/2008, -3/+10No, silence the news and the population revolts. Control the news, and you control the population. Why do you think they let sites like Digg stay around? As long as people can rabble-rouse online, they'll feel like their opinions are at least being seen by others and agreed with, and they won't take any real action IRL.
      • calon9, on 02/05/2008, -0/+6That applies within a nation. Internationally, it's more like: silencing news from nation A being able to reach nation B, allows nation B to control its own news much better.
    • firebringer, on 02/05/2008, -2/+2They do say that empty vessels make the loudest sound.
    • noahhoward, on 02/05/2008, -2/+1It's not exactly silenced so I don't get what you're all raving about.
  • Look4Truth, on 02/05/2008, -6/+48I'm hearing it's 5 now. I smell a war brewing.
    • SwedishNinja, on 02/05/2008, -9/+13Oh yeah well I hear that they cut like..... 20 goddammed cables.

      The bombing begins in five minutes.
    • Scrappy1850, on 02/05/2008, -8/+1*****
    • Scrappy1850, on 02/05/2008, -3/+34citation needed
    • Look4Truth, on 02/05/2008, -2/+5Done and done!

      http://digg.com/world_news/5th_undersea_internet_c ...
      • Sneakernets, on 02/06/2008, -2/+1I call *****. 1: it's from prison planet.
        2: no other news source is reporting it other than Arab Media, which I wouldn't trust at all in these situations.
        3: Surely this would have been noticed immediately? if it wasn't, then Internet redundancy wins.
    • SuperWinner, on 02/06/2008, -1/+2How would cutting Iran off from free porn make them any easier to invade?
  • snotrokit, on 02/05/2008, -6/+47It's the decepticons, they are planning an attack in Qatar
    • DevilInPgh, on 02/05/2008, -0/+12Only Optimus Prime can save us now!
  • HiKevinRose, on 02/05/2008, -3/+105---//---
    snip snip
    • nazsco, on 02/05/2008, -8/+5- - 8< - - -

      learn you ascii art dammit.
    • Servebot, on 02/05/2008, -0/+1i thought it looked like trim from acad lulz
  • JasonCox, on 02/05/2008, -5/+44Alright, who broke the tubes?
  • LastDitchHero, on 02/05/2008, -7/+59Maybe the US was pissed about our broadband speeds so we decided to make the rest of the world suffer.
    • digitalgopher, on 02/05/2008, -0/+7Those ***** bastards at Comcast!
  • medxb, on 02/05/2008, -2/+29this explains why i can't call home. it took me 1 hour to get a line. and both telecommunication companies claim that there is no disruption with international telephone calls.
  • NeverReturnKid, on 02/05/2008, -1/+69How deep are these cables?
    • sockpuppets, on 02/05/2008, -2/+43The proper question is where were they cut. Since they're cables, they have to come on shore eventually, so at some point they're not very deep.
      • screensnot, on 02/05/2008, -0/+20I think he is wondering if they go deep enough that the crab people can get at them.
      • Suricou, on 02/05/2008, -1/+2From 'shallow' to 'abyss.' Obviously they have to come ashore somewhere, and thats where they are most vulnerable to both accidential and deliberate damage.
        • Catbert107, on 02/06/2008, -0/+4I like it when people sum up the comments right above their own
          • natedouglas, on 02/06/2008, -0/+4What interests me is when people repeat ***** that other people just said.
    • Suprfire, on 02/05/2008, -6/+7520,000 leagues under the sea
      • Scrappy1850, on 02/05/2008, -0/+14awesome
      • hollowex, on 02/05/2008, -0/+6To this day I can't see those words without thinking of phil hartman.
      • whyufail, on 02/05/2008, -2/+8fathoms! You cannot measure nautical depth in leagues!
        • Wartz, on 02/05/2008, -0/+2they traveled 20,000 leagues under the sea as a distance, not a depth. (or maybe I'm just missing some meme or reference.)
      • Jsoul87, on 02/05/2008, -1/+10IT'S OVER 9000!!
    • AstroZombie138, on 02/06/2008, -1/+10The cables run along the sea floor. It really depends on the system, but the cables are typically buried underground for the first 2 miles or 2km (I can't remember which). The cables are then simply laid on the sea floor. In some case a ballast may be used if there are underwater trenches, etc. The cables are about 20mm think so they are much smaller than what most people think.
    • BobCFC, on 02/06/2008, -0/+5The first few cables were in the Med.

      Wiki says that the average depth of the Mediterranean sea is 4,920 ft (1500metres)
  • republicker, on 02/05/2008, -8/+59CIA
    • CrazedLeper, on 02/05/2008, -2/+31I wouldn't put anything past the CIA. If the moon drifted away I would think they were somehow involved.
      • hollowex, on 02/05/2008, -1/+16it is drifting away.
      • NiNiCraftOne, on 02/05/2008, -5/+4Oh, come on now, if the mood drifted away how will the secret government agents get to their secret moon base??
        That secret moon base is where the Zionists and their American lapdogs are planning to build the New Jewish Home World on moon-land which they stole from the moon people.
    • TheMachine1, on 02/05/2008, -2/+2http://www.ciachef.edu/
      The Culinary Institute of America? Why?
    • orca94, on 02/06/2008, -2/+1Not even the CIA is dumb enough to botch a job like this that badly.
    • NSResponder, on 02/06/2008, -0/+1No, CIA would tap them, not cut them. They did this at least once before, tapping a phone cable in the Sea of Okhotsk during the cold war.

      -jcr
    • PDAIsAOk, on 02/06/2008, -0/+1KFC
    • JusticeFriend, on 02/07/2008, -0/+1ATI
  • EelfinnTy, on 02/05/2008, -3/+34fta "traffic from the Middle East and surrounding areas is being routed through various other cables in an attempt to remain online" I read on another site that the "various other cables" are in the US. /breaks out the tin foil
    • stix213, on 02/05/2008, -2/+3I never majored in Geography, but rerouting Middle East Internet traffic via cables through the US doesn't seem to fit with my globe.... Yes my globe still has the USSR on it, but I don't think the continents have moved too much since then.
  • j0hnk377y, on 02/05/2008, -21/+11I wonder if Global Warming is causing the cables to heat up and become brittle.
    • Jlaugh, on 02/05/2008, -0/+3I wonder...
    • StarlessKnight, on 02/05/2008, -0/+1Geothermal Warming, I think'd be more dangerous to the cables. I hope people have Volcano Insurance.
    • SwedishNinja, on 02/05/2008, -1/+17THE OCEAN DOES NOT WORK THAT WAY

      GOOD NIGHT.
      • j0hnk377y, on 02/05/2008, -2/+4It was a joke....
      • mooninite, on 02/05/2008, -1/+5Best comment on digg today. Perfect man, perfect. +digg.
  • AshamedAmerican, on 02/05/2008, -18/+11Is the US the only nation with submarines built to cut cables?
    Just wondering if anyone knows...
    • Prosequi, on 02/05/2008, -7/+12I think you're making this more complex than needed. A small ship and a big anchor is all that is needed.
      • bearsandbulls, on 02/05/2008, -0/+4Yeah, I'm sure they didn't think of that when they laid the cables. (sarcasm)
        • Prosequi, on 02/05/2008, -0/+3"They" did think of it and came up with redundant systems, but the cables themselves are very vulnerable. Undersea cables are simply marked on maps, like no-fly zones. From http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9595_22-529826.html - "Undersea fiber-optic cables are sheathed in a thick steel husk and buried in a yard-deep trench. But once the water depth exceeds 1,000 feet, they usually are left to run uncovered along the ocean floor." These cables are just as exposed as oil pipelines.
    • Jlaugh, on 02/05/2008, -4/+10Doubt it. Besides couldn't divers do that, so anyone could have done it. We do have motive though.
    • miketherazor, on 02/05/2008, -12/+3what a complete *****. "AshamedAmerican?" With a swastika made out of stars? You make me ill. Why don't you go hang yourself?
      • jord, on 02/05/2008, -2/+10seriously? You are judging his freedom of speech? His opinion of his own country? A view that most of the world shares with him... and you tell him to hang himself...

        If that's not class, then what is?
    • NonLeftistDiggr, on 02/05/2008, -4/+4Yes, bush ordered them built after he ate puppies and endangered sea lions for Thanksgiving dinner in '02.
    • Suricou, on 02/05/2008, -2/+3America has them, I expect a few other countries do... but you dont need a submarine to cut cables. You need a scuba diver with a hacksaw, or a boat with a draggable anchor.
      • gunxclimber, on 02/06/2008, -0/+2Egypt has reviewed their videos and no boats were in the area when cables were cut
    • orca94, on 02/06/2008, -0/+2I'm pretty sure the subs you're talking about were meant to tap lines, not explicitly cut them.
    • akamurph, on 02/06/2008, -0/+0Looking at your name I'm not surprised you assume it's the US. You don't happen to live in California do you?
  • ManHammer, on 02/05/2008, -7/+45all your cables are belong to us
  • i4mt3hwin, on 02/05/2008, -1/+34"ArabianBusiness.com reports that it was told unofficially that the cable breakage in this case wasn’t caused by a ship, but was related to the power supply. DailyTech reported yesterday that the mystery behind the breakage of the undersea cables deepened with the announcement from Egyptian authorities that no ships were in the area of the first two cables when the damage occurred near the Egyptian port of Alexandria."

    From dailytech - http://www.dailytech.com/The+Game+is+Afoot+Fourth+ ...

    Arabian Business unoffical source tho.
  • killachuck, on 02/05/2008, -9/+2I wonder where the original anchor story came from? Does anyone know offhand (or by searching the intertewbz)?