To help dissuade the conspiracy theorists… If you take the cold war example, we rarely “cut” the cables. Our past policy as been to non-invasively tap the cables. We can then either listen, disrupt, or inject. It provides a lot more flexibility since we can lay the device and leave it waiting until we are ready.

From: plug-discuss-bounces@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us [mailto:plug-discuss-bounces@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us] On Behalf Of Charles Jones
Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2008 12:14 AM
To: Main PLUG discussion list
Subject: Re: 5th undersea cable cut!

Kristian Erik Hermansen wrote:

On Feb 6, 2008 8:55 PM, Joshua Zeidner <jjzeidner@gmail.com> wrote:

  there is zero doubt that those submarine cables are being

intentionally severed.

How can it be proved and why isn't anyone covering this in the media?

They verified via satellite that no ships were nearby, so that leaves out dragging anchors. There have been little to no problems with these cables in the past, so it is highly unlikely that 5 of them miles and miles apart all failed within a week due to "natural causes".

It takes a submarine to reach these cables (or a properly equipped ship), so it's not like just anyone can swim out there and dive down with a hatchet to do the deed. The cables thusfar have not been appetizing to sharks and such, so no reason to suspect that marine life played a part.

It seems obvious that *someone* is deliberately cutting the cables. Why? There are lots of valid theories ranging from cutting off communications as a prelude to war, to espionage, to terrorism. In theory, since a cable could be repaired within a week or so, if something was going to happen, it should happen soon - within a month. I doubt we will find out until after whatever-it-is has already happened.

As for why is the media not covering it...I find that most interesting. I made a joke earlier about the media caring more about Britney Spears, and I kid you not I turned on the radio on the way home from work today, and heard "Todays top stories: Britney Spears released from the hospital". I'm not kidding...that was the leading story!

Conspiracy theory folks would have you believe that the lack of media coverage means that "we did it", but I would think that if "we" wanted to cut off the communications of a country like Iran, we wouldn't be so sloppy about it. Of course one could say that someone is doing it to make it *look* like we did it :)

Either way I think we will find out within a month. If the cables are all repaired and nothing happens, then I would entertain the notion of taps being put into place, but again, very sloppy way of doing it.