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Fifth Cable Cut To Middle East

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. Update: 02/06 17:42 GMT by Z : As a commenter notes, though the country of Iran is obviously experiencing some networking difficulties, it is not offline.

38 of 676 comments (clear)

  1. What they are thinking. by suso · · Score: 5, Funny

    Hmmm, let me see. Is this one it? No that's Syria. Is this it? No that's Saudi Arabia. Ah, here we go, Iran.

  2. fp by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    first post on the fifth cable

    1. Re:fp by halivar · · Score: 4, Funny

      first post on the fifth cable
      No wonder it took so long to get here.
  3. Re:Goldfinger meets Pogo by SailorSpork · · Score: 5, Funny

    Why can I picture George Dubbya Bush in a scuba suit, holding a giant pair of sheers and screaming "I'll cut off the terrorist's interweb tubes!"

  4. hmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    The system is down. The system is down. The system is down. Down. Down, down, down, down.

  5. How many? by MBGMorden · · Score: 5, Funny

    Didn't they say Iran was completely offline when the third cable was cut? Then I hear a fourth cable was and they were "now they're offline"! Now there's a fifth cable cut and the news is saying "Now they're REALLY REALLY offline!". And yet it still appears that they are still not offline.

    So, how many fscking cables do they have and can they please tell us exactly how many have to go down before I can't ping a single thing in Iran? I don't wanna go through this on the next 12 cables . . .

    --
    "People who think they know everything are very annoying to those of us who do."-Mark Twain
    1. Re:How many? by gingerTabs · · Score: 5, Funny

      So, how many fscking cables do they have and can they please tell us exactly how many have to go down before I can't ping a single thing in Iran? I don't wanna go through this on the next 12 cables . . . Surely your military advisers would give you a better answer than /. George...
  6. Obivously by Joe+U · · Score: 5, Funny

    Obivously, it's to stop them from downloading Truecrypt 5.

  7. Top Secret by fredz1 · · Score: 4, Funny

    It's "Operation Notwork" AKA "InterNot" it was Big Dick's idea, but I liked it... submarine, big pair of scissors, there you go. - W

  8. Re:Iran has NOT "offline" by ahsile · · Score: 4, Funny

    Omg... Get your tinfoil hat hating ass out of here. This is slashdot! Everything is a conspiracy! Iran is being slowly disconnected from the internet so that the US can bomb them and nobody will know! Because reporters couldn't ever tell us about it without the interwab!

    Sheesh.

  9. Re:Iran has NOT "offline" by unbug · · Score: 5, Funny

    A quick perusal of, e.g., newspaper web sites in Iran finds every one I have tried working fine, including all state-run media. As is the web site of the Government of Iran and numerous other government and press web sites physically located in Iran. See for yourself. Jeez, if this goes on Iran will be offline - it will be slashdotted. But maybe that was the plan all along...
  10. Re:Coordinated attack? by wonkavader · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'm tired of this myth. For the LAST TIME: There are NO laser-equipped sharks. All the shark operatives are issued simple wire cutters. Tests with sharks equipped with nuclear landmines were abandoned after it was found that the chickens drown too quickly for the sharks to be maximally effective.

  11. Egypt Loses Its Wireless Connectivity by briggsb · · Score: 5, Funny

    The conspiracy theorists just got more fodder. A low-flying plane cut Egypt's wireless Internet connectivity.

  12. Re:Iran has NOT "offline" by Rik+Sweeney · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...and has NOT lost net connectivity.

    Meanwhile, at the NWO headquarters:

    Underling: "President Bush, Iran still isn't offline!"
    Bush: "Dammit, Osama, what the fuck am I paying you for?"
    Bin Laden: "Sorry Sir, I'll get right on it"
    Elvis: "And get it right this time!"

  13. Re:Goldfinger meets Pogo by William-Ely · · Score: 5, Funny

    The plot is much more sinister than we think. Step 1: Cut cables Step 2: Post story on Slashdot Step 3: Have everyone ping Iranian servers to death to prove story wrong Step 4: ??? Step 5: PROFIT!

    --
    Mod me down with all of your hatred, and your journey towards the dark side will be complete!
  14. Re:Goldfinger meets Pogo by Per+Wigren · · Score: 4, Funny

    I doubt it. If anything, we would want Iran to have 100% free and uncensored access for all citizens. Impossible. That would enable them to share music and movies. Hollywood would go bankrupt.
    --
    My other account has a 3-digit UID.
  15. Re:Except that Iran has NOT gone "offline" by stonecypher · · Score: 5, Funny

    So when the basic, sole premise and of the story is wrong, and by extension the clear implication, where do we go from there?
    I'm not sure. Traditionally someone says something about Katz or Piquapille, but it's not so easy here.
    --
    StoneCypher is Full of BS
  16. Re:Goldfinger meets Pogo by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Where can I apply to become a Japanese fisherman?

  17. Re:riiight. by Quiet_Desperation · · Score: 4, Funny

    the author clearly has his tinfoil underpants and armadillo hat on.

    I call it Battlestar Syndrome. It's like Munchausen Syndrome (there's also Battlestar By Proxy Syndrome), except instead of trying to draw attention or sympathy, they wish to be seen as some sort of rebel ("a rag tag rebel fleet") fighting against some shadowy conspiracy. They actually thing the US is now the worst fascist dictatorship ever to exist, and that the creepy Half Life G-Man is tracking their comic book and grocery purchases with 50 special agents and six supercomputers deep beneath the Earth's crust.

    Oh boy. Here comes some more modding down by folks who can;t take a joke.

  18. Re:This is obviously the work of.... by rodney+dill · · Score: 2, Funny

    or Manbearpigsquid (for underwater work)

    --

    Use your head, can't you, use your head,
    You're on earth, there's no cure for that
    - S. Beckett
  19. We'd never be so obvious by Lucas123 · · Score: 4, Funny

    With all of our technology and our superior intelligence community, why would we be so naiive as to think that cutting cables wouldn't be an obvious ploy to disrupt communications among Middle Eastern countries, and so that tactic would only backfire on us? Unless, our intelligence community calculated that everyone would think it was obvious, so that we'd never do it because everyone would immediately know it was us. But then, people would realize that we knew that they knew we'd think it was an obvious ploy and therefore no one would believe we'd done it, so then they would't believe we'd done it, all just to throw them off. But then, people would realize that we knew that they knew that we'd knew they'd knew... forget it. I'm going back to sleep.

  20. Re:Goldfinger meets Pogo by randyest · · Score: 5, Funny

    Intact.

    Unless you meant that the network is inside a small nail.

    (Also their but I've just about given up on that one.)

    --
    everything in moderation
  21. Oblig quote by eclectic_hermit · · Score: 2, Funny

    Fry: What's happening?

    Dr. Zoidberg: All 6,000 hulls have been breached!

    Fry: Oh, the fools! If only they'd built it with 6,001 hulls! When will they learn?

    .

    P.S. On a side note, how can we not believe in a conspiracty at this rate??? Seriously!!!

  22. Re:Iran has NOT "offline" by cHiphead · · Score: 2, Funny

    I hadn't considered that angle. Maybe its the first step of the aliens plans to disable the internet prior to invasion, they're checking response time on repairs, its a great tactical move.

    --

    This is my sig. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
  23. Re:Goldfinger meets Pogo by risk+one · · Score: 4, Funny

    Who cares about them, doesn't anybody realize that we're cut of from the Iranian network? What will I do without Ahmadinejad's delightful blog?

  24. Re:A communications disruption? by geminidomino · · Score: 3, Funny

    Ok, that stopped being funny between the 2nd and 3rd cables.

  25. Re:Iran has NOT "offline" by Farhood · · Score: 5, Funny

    just called some family (in Iran)...asked them if their 'net was up. they said yea...asked me if mine was up. I said no...damn comcast.

  26. Cthulhu? by StarEmperor · · Score: 4, Funny

    Now we know where Cthulhu stands on the issue of net neutrality.

  27. Comedy gold. by rmadmin · · Score: 2, Funny

    First attempt I got a "503 Service Unavailable". How fitting. =)

    OH NOES! The slashdot tubes have been cut!

  28. Re:Goldfinger meets Pogo by Chris+Burke · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm sure they meant that Iran's internal net infrastructure is turning into the wind.

    --

    The enemies of Democracy are
  29. Re:wtf by rasputin465 · · Score: 4, Funny

    If anything I'm not buying a lottery ticket today, the planets have aligned and its not in our favor.

    And before this, lottery tickets were a safe investment??

    "The lottery is just a tax for people who can't do math."

  30. Re:NSA cable tapping by rasputin465 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Maybe the dolphins are getting back at us for all of those tuna nets.

    "So long and thanks for all the fish, but screw you and your damned tuna nets!"

  31. Re:Goldfinger meets Pogo by spidercoz · · Score: 5, Funny

    Never give up! The illiterati must be destroyed, or at least beaten with a dictionary.

    --
    "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - Evelyn Beatrice Hall, re Voltaire
  32. Re:Goldfinger meets Pogo by Anarke_Incarnate · · Score: 4, Funny

    I believe Kim Jung Il has a Myspace.......... Ooooh, he's in my extended network.

  33. Re:Goldfinger meets Pogo by uniqueUser · · Score: 2, Funny

    My first thought was that maybe Iran did it to themselves (to stop public information) but there is better ways of doing that (ie China). I think there is a 70% chance that this was on purpose. If it was on purpose, I think that there is a 90% chance that Iran did not do it. If Iran did not do it, then I say 60% chance Israel did. If Israel did do it, there is a 90% chance that the US helped. Can someone do the math?

    --
    GENERATION 25: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig on any forum and add 1 to the generation. Social exper
  34. Re:Goldfinger meets Pogo by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Your IP address has been noted. Expect a visit from us very soon.

    Sincerely,
    Head Goon
    MIB Dept

  35. Re:Goldfinger meets Pogo by PReDiToR · · Score: 3, Funny

    --

    "I do not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it in good English"
    There. Fixed that for you.

    (This is a .SIG related joke, if you have them turned off)
    --

    Do not meddle in the affairs of geeks for they are subtle and quick to anger
  36. Re:Goldfinger meets Pogo by PReDiToR · · Score: 2, Funny

    God said unto Moses, take these tablets down the mountain, there are ten of them and each one comes from a different English speaking part of the world.

    Moses arrived in the UK a little late to help out the Bard, but these days we're on fairly solid ground when it comes to the en_GB dictionary. No, really. Every Linux distro I've used has it, and it's installed as default in my copy of Firefox, I can even download OpenOffice and Firefox with all the British language packs installed, I swear to god!

    --

    Do not meddle in the affairs of geeks for they are subtle and quick to anger