| Author | Message | | Alpha | |  | | Alpha | | Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 8:06 am Post subject: |
| Middle East Undersea Cable Cutting A Zionist-NeoCon
Covert Operation?
By Dr. Richard Sauder, PhD
2-2-8
In the Middle East in the last three days, there have been several undersea, international communications cables that have been cut. On Wednesday, 30 January 2008, two major, undersea communications cables were cut off the Egyptian coast, in the eastern Mediterranean. (1) The story has received prominent play in the international news cycle. Various explanations have been floated in the mainstream news media as to the cause - the most popular culprit being a "ship anchor". In any event, communications in the region have been severely disrupted, all the way from Egypt to India, and most points in between.
Then on Friday, 1 February 2008, an undersea cable in the Persian Gulf, running between Oman and Dubai, was also cut "causing severe phone line disruptions and compounding an already existing Internet outage across large parts of the Middle East and Asia" according to the International Herald Tribune. (2)
There was also a report on Friday, 1 February 2008, of yet another undersea, fiber optic communications cable between Suez and Sri Lanka that has been cut. The reporting is a bit confused; however, given that the Persian Gulf is geographically distant from the Suez, this appears to represent a fourth undersea cable that has been cut. (3)
So let's see if we can figure this story out. I will say up front that I am well and thoroughly skeptical of the "ship anchor" explanation that has been so prominently advanced in the mainstream news media. Yes, ships do sometimes drag their anchors and dragging anchors can cause damage, true enough. But to have three undersea cables -- or is it actually four cables? -- cut in the same region in just a two day span, strains credulity; the more so, when we look at how the damage has played out across the region.
Two countries in particular stand at conspicuously opposite ends of the continuum of communications disruption.
1. The website, internettrafficreport.com/asia.htm, reports that as of Friday, 1 February 2008, internet traffic routing through/from/to Iran has been cut to zero. Packet loss is 100%. (4)
2. Whereas CNN reported on Thursday, 31 January 2008, that internet traffic to Israel has been unaffected because Israel uses a "different route". The same CNN article also reports that Lebanon and Iraq have been "spared the chaos". (5)
So, the sudden, unprecedented round of undersea, communications cable cutting in the Middle East leaves Israel and Iraq still connected, while completely shutting down the Iranian internet.
Funny how that works, isn't it?
As it happens, the two actors in the international arena in recent years whose rhetoric has expressed the most animus for Iran are the United States and Israel. They have also been by far the most bellicose, Zionist-NeoCon propaganda notwithstanding. Israel and the United States have repeatedly committed military aggression against other countries in the region, and have made many thinly veiled threats of war against Iran. In this decade, the United States has militarily invaded and occupied first Afghanistan, then Iraq, where its forces remain, bogged down in bloody wars of attrition. In the same period, Israel has bombed Syria, bombed and invaded Lebanon, and placed the Palestinian territories under a merciless blockade/occupation/assault. Parallel with these international war crimes, the United States and Israel have repeatedly rattled their sabres against Iran.
Which brings the discussion back around to the instant spate of undersea, communications cable cutting in the region that has uniquely brought Iranian internet communications to a complete halt, while sparing Israel, which has a different internet route than any of the cut cables, and Iraq, where the American military occupation is bogged down.
As it happens, the U.S. Navy has for decades had special operations teams that go out on submarines and deploy undersea, on the seabed itself, specifically for cutting or tapping communications cables. The U.S. Navy divers go out through special airlocks and use very sophisticated equipment. This has all been thoroughly documented in the excellent book, Blind Man's Bluff: The Untold Story of American Submarine Espionage, by Sherry Sontag and Christopher Drew (New York: Public Affairs, 1998).
For the uninitiated it seems bizarre and unlikely, but the plain fact of the matter is that American military divers really go out onto the seabed from special submarines outfitted with airlocks and they actually cut undersea communications cables-- then patch in sophisticated surveillance equipment -- then they splice the cables back together. That is if the motive is espionage. If the purpose of the operation is garden variety sabotage, then simply cutting the cable suffices. It's like something out of a spy novel thriller, but the U.S. Navy really does have submarines and deep diving, special operations personnel who specialize in precisely this sort of operation. So cutting a few undersea cables in two or three days is well within the operational capabilities of the United States Navy.
Couple this little known, but very important fact, with the reality that for years now we have seen more and more ham-handed interference with the global communications grid by the American alphabet soup (NSA, CIA, FBI, HoSec) and major tel-comms. Would the tel-comms and the American military and alphabet soup agencies collude on an operation that had as its aim to sabotage the Iranian communications network, even if that entailed collateral damage to other countries in the region? The honest answer has to be: sure, maybe so. Who can really tell? I mean, after all, we are living in a bizarro world now, a world of big and bigger lies, a world of 24/7 propaganda, a world of irrational and violent policies enacted against the civilian population by multinational corporations and military and espionage agencies the world over. We see the evidence for this on every hand. Only the most myopic among us remain oblivious to these realities.
In light of the American Navy's demonstrated sea-floor capabilities and espionage activities, the heavy American Navy presence in the region, and the many veiled threats against Iran by both the Americans and the Israelis, suspicion naturally falls on them both. It may be that this is what the beginning of a war against Iran looks like. Or maybe we are merely seeing a dry run, a practice run, for a planned, upcoming war against Iran. The cables that have been cut are among the largest communication pipes in the region, and clearly represent major strategic targets.
Whatever the case, it is crystal clear that we are not looking at business as usual. On the contrary, we are looking at distinctly unusual business, that much is obvious.
The explanations being put forth in the mainstream news media for these several cut, undersea communications cables absolutely do not pass the smell test. And by the way, the same operators who cut undersea cables in the Persian Gulf, Mediterranean Sea and possibly the Suez as well, presumably can also cut underwater cables in the Gulf of Mexico or Great Lakes or ... you see my point. This could be a multipurpose operation, in part a test run for isolating a country from the international communications grid. Iran today, the USA tomorrow?
What's that you say? I don't understand how the world works? That kind of thing can't happen here?
In any event, if the cables have been intentionally cut, then that is an aggressive act of war. I'm sure the Iranians have gotten that message, and are actively making counter preparations against a possible imminent attack. I'm looking at the same telegram as they are, and I know I would be, were I in their shoes.
References
(1) http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSL3026621820080130?sp=true
(2) http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/02/02/africa/ME-GEN-Mideast-Internet-Outages.php
(3) http://www.smartmoney.com/news/on/index.cfm?story=ON-20080201-000320-0524
(4) http://www.internettrafficreport.com/asia.htm
(5) http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/01/31/dubai.outage/
Richard Sauder lives and works in San Antonio, Texas. He can be contacted at dr_samizdat@yahoo.com | | | | Alpha | | | | Alpha | | | | Alpha | | | | Alpha | | Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 9:13 am Post subject: |
| http://www.zdd.se/zeb_zentralrat_europaeischer_buerger_suermeli_03092007.mp3
AIPAC is pushing us to war with Iran for Israel
We must not allow anyone to push us into a war with Iran. Wesley Clark told Arianna Huffington about the push for war on Iran, How can you talk about bombing a country when you wont even talk to them? said Clark. Its outrageous. Were the United States of America; we dont do that. When we asked him what made him so sure the Bush administration was headed in this direction, he replied: You just have to read whats in the Israeli press. The Jewish community is divided but there is so much pressure being channeled from the New York money people to the office seekers. For Clark, this is the biggest foreign policy issue facing the U.S. Im worried about the surge, he said. But Im worried about this even more., Huffington wrote on her blog. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna huffington/dc notes wes clark is _b_37837.html In his article, Eric Alterman warns about the push for President Bush to attack Iran. About Wesley Clarks concern that the attack is being pushed by New York money people, Alterman writes, I agree with Clark, but I agree that he also said what he said badly, though not anti Semitically. Alterman warns, The Bush administration is clearly attempting to create a pretext to attack Iran ... [this would result in] inciting worldwide terrorist attacks against Americans and their properties around the world, including inside the United States ... this being the Bush administration, you can count on it being done incompetently and dishonestly. Criticize the neocons for what they are actually doing or even use the word neocon and youre an anti Semite. That means they get to keep doing it even if it means they are acting on behalf of what they believe are Israels interests ... rather than Americas. We saw during the Lieberman primary that The Weekly Standard actually does care more about whats good for Israel than for America they said American Jews should behave that way, and so do Newsweeks embarrassingly crazy Rabbi Gelman and Mona Charen and a few others. If anyone on earth thinks Marty Peretz cares more about the fate of the goyim in America than the heroes in Israel, Ive never met him or her ... if you read this excellent New York Times Magazine piece on Abe Foxman, youll get a small inkling of how the system works. http://mediamatters.org/altercation/200701160005 On Bloggingheads, Alterman said, Wesley Clark, used probably some incautious language, when he said that New York money men, which many people interpret to mean Jews, were pushing us to war with Iran. However, Jews, in New York, who have a lot of money, are in fact pushing us to war with Iran. It was a factually true statement. AIPAC is pushing us to war with Iran. AIPAC is the reason that no Democrats are coming out strongly against war with Iran. AIPACs funding is extremely wealthy American Jews and AIPAC is pushing for war with Iran. So, when people go to Democratic politicians and they say listen, I dont want you gettin out in front and opposing war with Iran, particularly since you have national aspirations, they dont say it in the New York Times. Wesley Clark and the anti Semitism charge..
Additional at the following URL:
D.C. Notes: Wes Clark is Steamed & BORCHGRAVE:
http://www.warwithoutend.co.uk/wake-up-america-your-government-is-hijacked-by-zionism/2007/01/09/d-c-notes-wes-clark-is-steamed-borchgrave.php
Last edited by Alpha on Thu Feb 07, 2008 6:03 pm; edited 1 time in total | | | | Alpha | | Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 11:20 am Post subject: |
| Subject: How Close Did We Come to World War III?
Date: Thu, 7 Feb 2008 16:08:10 +0700
“He was telling the Chinese leadership that they’d better warn Iran that we can’t hold back Israel, and that the Iranians should look at Syria and see what’s coming next if diplomacy fails,” the person familiar with the discussion said. “His message was that the Syrian attack was in part aimed at Iran.” ♦
This article can be viewed online at: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/02/11/080211fa_fact_hersh | | | | Alpha | | Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 6:06 pm Post subject: |
| Experts: Iran has faster centrifuges
By GEORGE JAHN, Associated Press Writer 56 minutes ago
Iran has developed its own version of an advanced centrifuge that churns out fissile material much faster than other machines and has started testing them, diplomats and experts said Thursday.
Few of the IR-2 centrifuges were operating and testing appeared to be in an early phase.
The machines were rotating without processing any of the uranium gas that can either be used to generate electricity or provide the fissile core of nuclear warheads, depending on the level of enrichment, according to diplomats who spoke on condition of anonymity because their information was confidential.
More significant, said those with knowledge of the issue, was the fact that Tehran has appeared to combine know-how and equipment bought on the nuclear black market with domestic ingenuity to overcome daunting technical difficulties and create advanced machines that reflect a high level of nuclear development.
Iran is under two sets of U.N. Security Council sanctions for refusing to scrap its uranium enrichment program, which it started developing during nearly two decades of covert nuclear activity built on illicit purchases and revealed only five years ago.
The council demands to freeze enrichment were prompted by concerns that it could be used to make nuclear weapons because of eroding confidence prompted by the secret nature of Iran's activities, including experiments that could be linked to the manufacture of such arms.
But Tehran insists it wants to enrich only to create fuel for a future generation of reactors and insists it will expand the program instead of freezing it. | | | | Alpha | | Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2008 9:04 am Post subject: |
| Ahmadinejad: Iran won't stop enrichment
By ALI AKBAR DAREINI, Associated Press WriterMon Feb 11, 7:54 PM ET
Hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad struck a defiant tone as he spoke to giant crowds marking the 29th anniversary of the Islamic revolution Monday, vowing never to slow down nuclear development and announcing plans for more rocket launches in Iran's space program.
Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators marched through the capital Tehran, chanting "Death to America" and burning effigies of President Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
The leader's speech before the crowd appeared aimed at showing an image of strength of his hard-line camp ahead of key parliament elections in mid-March.
Iran's ruling clerical establishment has worked to keep reformists out of the vote. Earlier this month, Ahmadinejad's Interior Ministry disqualified more than 2,000 pro-reform candidates from running in the election. The hard-line constitutional watchdog, the cleric-run Guardian Council, is to announce the final list of approved candidates in early March.
Ahmadinejad's popularity has been deeply hurt by Iran's economic woes over the past year and the vote is seen as a key test of the president's hold on power. The barring of the reformist candidates has infuriated liberals who were hoping to stage a comeback in the vote.
One reformist faction, called the "Mujahideen of the Islamic Revolution," issued a statement on its Web site Monday calling the barring of the candidates "one of the ugliest events in the history of the revolution, creating deviations from the ideals of the most humane revolution."
It called on Iranians participating in ceremonies marking the anniversary to "make all efforts to prevent the transmuting of the revolution's ideals."
State-run television said millions of Iranians took to the streets across Iran to mark the anniversary of the 1979 revolution that toppled the pro-U.S. Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and brought hard-line clerics to power.
In Tehran, Ahmadinejad vowed to push ahead with both the nuclear and space program and rallied Iranians against U.N. Security Council demands that Iran stop enriching uranium.
Like Iran's nuclear activities, the country's space program has provoked unease abroad because the same technology needed to put satellites into space can be used to deliver warheads. Iranian officials have insisted both programs are intended for peaceful purposes.
"I ask the people's view. Would you agree if I ... gave in, surrendered or compromised over the nuclear issue? Would you agree to give up one iota of your nuclear rights?" Ahmadinejad asked. The crowd chanted in response: "No!" and "Nuclear energy is our definite right."
The U.S. has led the push for a third round of U.N. sanctions against Iran for refusing to halt uranium enrichment, a technology that can be used to produce nuclear fuel or material for an atomic bomb. Last month, the five permanent Security Council members — the U.S., Russia, China, Britain and France — agreed on a draft resolution for new sanctions.
Ahmadinejad said Monday that Iran won't be frightened by the threat of more sanctions. He also warned the Security Council that it risked losing its credibility.
The Iranian president also said Iran will launch two more research rockets into space before putting the first Iranian-made satellite into orbit hopefully by this summer.
Earlier this month, Iran said it launched its first research rocket into space and unveiled its first major space center and indigenous satellite — called Omid, or Hope.
"Today, we possess all the fundamental sections needed to launch a satellite into space," said Ahmadinejad. "We built all (of the sections) ourselves."
The U.S. called the Feb. 4 rocket launch "just another troubling development", saying it was a cause for concern about Iran's continuing development of medium- and long-range missiles.
Despite the anxiety over Iran's space program, it is not exactly clear how developed it is, and analysts have expressed doubts about such technological achievements announced by the country in the past.
On Monday, Ahmadinejad offered the first details about the Feb. 4 launch, saying the first section of the rocket — called Kavoshgar-1, or Explorer-1 — detached after 90 seconds and returned to earth with the help of a parachute. The second segment entered space for about five minutes, he said, while the final section was sent "toward" orbit to collect information to determine the best future route for the Omid satellite.
Iran has said it wants to put its own satellites into orbit to monitor natural disasters in the earthquake-prone nation and improve its telecommunications. Iranian officials also point to America's use of satellites to monitor Afghanistan and Iraq and say they need similar abilities for their security.
In 2005, Iran launched its first commercial satellite on a Russian rocket, in a joint project with Moscow, which appears to be the main partner in transferring space technology to Iran.
___
AP writer Lee Keath in Cairo contributed to this report. | | | | Alpha | | Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 9:43 pm Post subject: Iran puts uranium gas in centrifuges |
| Iran puts uranium gas in centrifuges
By GEORGE JAHN, Associated Press Writer1 hour, 30 minutes ago
Iran's new generation of advanced centrifuges have begun processing small quantities of the gas that can be used to make the fissile core of nuclear warheads, diplomats told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
The diplomats emphasized that the centrifuges were working with minute amounts of the uranium gas. One diplomat said Tehran has set up only 10 of the machines — far too few to make enriched uranium in the quantities needed for an industrial-scale energy or weapons program.
The statements shed light on the Islamic Republic's experiments with its domestically developed IR-2 centrifuges, which can churn out enriched uranium at more than double the rate of the older machines that now form the backbone of Tehran's nuclear project.
The existence of the IR-2 centrifuges was made known last week by diplomats accredited to the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency probing Iran's nuclear program for suspicions it may have been designed to make weapons.
Diplomats told the AP last week that the machines appeared to be running empty and said they could not say how many centrifuges had been set up at the facility linked to Iran's underground enrichment plant at Natanz.
One diplomat said Wednesday that the centrifuges were set up Jan. 20 and began processing minute amounts of the uranium gas soon afterward to test the machines.
He and others accredited to the IAEA demanded anonymity because their information was confidential.
Iran is under U.N. Security Council sanctions for refusing to suspend uranium enrichment, which it started developing during nearly two decades of covert nuclear activity built on illicit purchases and revealed only five years ago.
That secrecy heightened suspicions about Iran's intent, but Iranian leaders argued the country has a right to run a peaceful enrichment program to generate electricity and have dismissed the U.N. demands.
Previously, Iran has publicly focused on working with P1 centrifuges — outmoded machines it acquired on the black market in the 1980s. More than 3,000 of the older centrifuges are operating in an underground hall near Natanz, a city about 300 miles south of Tehran. | | | | | ©2002-2009 WarWithoutEnd.co.uk |
