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Date: Mon, 4 Feb 2008 15:59:30 EST
Subject: Flag plays down net blackout conspiracy theories
To: TSCM-L2006_at_googlegroups.com
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Flag plays down net blackout conspiracy theories
by _Dylan Bowman_ (mailto:dylan..._at_itp.com?subject
abianBusiness.com:
Flag plays down net blackout conspiracy theories) on Monday, 04 February 2008
INTERNET DISRUPTION: The Falcon network runs from Egypt to India, linking 11
countries in the region.
Flag Telecom on Monday played down conspiracy theories over the recent damage
to undersea cables that has seriously disrupted internet and international
telecoms services across the region.
Two intercontinental cables connecting Europe and Asia were cut off the coast
of Egypt on Wednesday, followed by breaks in two more cables off the UAE
coast on Friday. Flag owns two of the affected cables.
The initial breaks affected internet access and international calls in Egypt,
the Gulf and south Asia, while disruption resulting from damage to the latter
two was centred around the Gulf region.
The location of the breaks and short space of time in which they have
happened has sparked fears the cables were intentionally damaged by the US and Israel
to deprive Iran of internet access.
"It seems now to be way beyond the realm of coincidence that a further 4th
critical international communications cable should break within seven days," one
ArabianBusiness.com reader commented.
"Clearly Iran, who was most affected, would gain nothing from such an action
and is perhaps the target of those responsible," said another reader.
Those theories were fuelled further on Monday when Egypt said damage to the
cables in the Mediterranean Sea was not caused by ships, as previously thought.
Egypt's Transport Ministry said footage recorded by onshore video cameras of
the location of the cables shows no maritime traffic in the area when the
cables were damaged.
"The ministry's maritime transport committee reviewed footage covering the
period of 12 hours before and 12 hours after the cables were cut and no ships
sailed the area," a statement by the Communications Ministry said.
"The area is also marked on maps as a no-go zone and it is therefore ruled
out that the damage to the cables was caused by ships."
It is not clear how badly Iran's internet access has been affected by the
cable breaks.
The Iranian embassy in Abu Dhabi told ArabianBusiness.com that "everything is
fine", but internet connectivity reports on the web, citing a router in
Tehran, appear to indicate that there is currently no connection to the outside
world.
No one at the US embassy in Abu Dhabi was immediately available to comment.
A spokesperson for Flag said the cause of the breaks will not be known until
repair ships reach the site of the damage.
The spokesperson admitted it did seem like a bit of a coincidence that all
four were damaged within such a short space of time, but said it would be
difficult to find the exact location of the cables.
"I think it is doubtful [the cable damage was intentional]," the spokesperson
told ArabianBusiness.com.
Repair ships are expected to arrive at the site of the breaks in the
Mediterranean on Tuesday and Friday.
The breaches are in segments of two intercontinental cables known as
Sea-ME-We-4 and Flag Europe-Asia.
A ship was expected to depart Abu Dhabi port on Monday to fix the break in
the third cable, called Falcon, off the coast of Dubai between the UAE and Oman.
The fourth break is located between the Qatari island of Haloul and the UAE
island of Das. The cause of damage is not yet known, but ArabianBusiness.com
has been told unofficially the problem is power related.
_Internet problems continue with fourth cable break_
(
http://www.arabianbusiness.com/510132-internet-problems-continue-with-fourth-cable-break?ln)
Services in Qatar seriously disrupted by damage to cable linking Gulf state
to UAE.
_Internet crisis deepens_
(
http://www.arabianbusiness.com/509954-third-undersea-cable-break-adds-to-web-woes?ln)
Third undersea cable break between UAE and Oman adds to web woes after two
breaks just days earlier.
**************Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all time on AOL Music.
(
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<H1>Flag plays down net blackout conspiracy theories</H1><SPAN class="sma=
ll grey"><FONT color=#444444><FONT size=1>by <!-- Author Start --></FON=
T></FONT><A href="mailto:dylan..._at_itp.com?subject=ArabianBusiness.com: =
Flag plays down net blackout conspiracy theories"><FONT color=#000099 siz=
e=1>Dylan Bowman</FONT></A><!-- Author End --><FONT color=#444444 size=
=1> on Monday, 04 February 2008</FONT></SPAN>
<DIV class="topmargin10 left lheight20" id=content-main style="WIDTH:=
443px">
<DIV class="topmargin10 leftmargin5 bottommargin5 right" style="CLEAR: =
right; WIDTH: 232px">
<DIV class=bottommargin5 id=imgThumbDiv1 style="POSITION: relative" a=
lign=center><IMG class=border height=165 alt="INTERNET DISRUPTION: =
The Falcon network runs from Egypt to India, linking 11 countries in the re=
gion." src="
http://www.arabianbusiness.com/images/magazines/arabianbusine=
ss.com/web/FALCON-network_thumb.jpg" width=230>
<DIV class="txtleft topmargin5 dateline" id=imgCaptionDiv>INTERNET DISR=
UPTION: The Falcon network runs from Egypt to India, linking 11 countries i=
n the region.</STRONG></DIV></DIV></DIV><!-- Article Start -->
<P>Flag Telecom on Monday played down conspiracy theories over the recent d=
amage to undersea cables that has seriously disrupted internet and internat=
ional telecoms services across the region.<BR><BR>Two intercontinental cabl=
es connecting Europe and Asia were cut off the coast of Egypt on Wednesday,=
followed by breaks in two more cables off the UAE coast on Friday. Flag ow=
ns two of the affected cables. <BR><BR>The initial breaks affected internet=
access and international calls in Egypt, the Gulf and south Asia, while di=
sruption resulting from damage to the latter two was centred around the Gul=
f region.</P>
<DIV class=topmargin15 style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #cccccc 1px dashed" align=
=left>The location of the breaks and short space of time in which they ha=
ve happened has sparked fears the cables were intentionally damaged by the =
US and Israel to deprive Iran of internet access.<BR><BR>"It seems now to b=
e way beyond the realm of coincidence that a further 4th critical internati=
onal communications cable should break within seven days," one<EM> ArabianB=
usiness.com</EM> reader commented.<BR><BR>"Clearly Iran, who was most affec=
ted, would gain nothing from such an action and is perhaps the target of th=
ose responsible," said another reader.<BR><BR>Those theories were fuelled f=
urther on Monday when Egypt said damage to the cables in the Mediterranean =
Sea was not caused by ships, as previously thought.<BR><BR>Egypt's Transpor=
t Ministry said footage recorded by onshore video cameras of the location o=
f the cables shows no maritime traffic in the area when the cables were dam=
aged.<BR><BR>"The ministry's maritime transport committee reviewed footage =
covering the period of 12 hours before and 12 hours after the cables were c=
ut and no ships sailed the area," a statement by the Communications Ministr=
y said.<BR><BR>"The area is also marked on maps as a no-go zone and it is t=
herefore ruled out that the damage to the cables was caused by ships."<BR><=
BR>It is not clear how badly Iran's internet access has been affected by th=
e cable breaks.<BR><BR>The Iranian embassy in Abu Dhabi told <EM>ArabianBus=
iness.com</EM> that "everything is fine", but internet connectivity reports=
on the web, citing a router in Tehran, appear to indicate that there is cu=
rrently no connection to the outside world.<BR><BR>No one at the US embassy=
in Abu Dhabi was immediately available to comment.<BR><BR>A spokesperson f=
or Flag said the cause of the breaks will not be known until repair ships r=
each the site of the damage.<BR><BR>The spokesperson admitted it did seem l=
ike a bit of a coincidence that all four were damaged within such a short s=
pace of time, but said it would be difficult to find the exact location of =
the cables.<BR><BR>"I think it is doubtful [the cable damage was intentiona=
l]," the spokesperson told <EM>ArabianBusiness.com</EM>.<BR><BR>Repair ship=
s are expected to arrive at the site of the breaks in the Mediterranean on =
Tuesday and Friday.<BR><BR>The breaches are in segments of two intercontine=
ntal cables known as Sea-ME-We-4 and Flag Europe-Asia.<BR><BR>A ship was ex=
pected to depart Abu Dhabi port on Monday to fix the break in the third cab=
le, called Falcon, off the coast of Dubai between the UAE and Oman.<BR><BR>=
The fourth break is located between the Qatari island of Haloul and the UAE=
island of Das. The cause of damage is not yet known, but <EM>ArabianBusine=
ss.com</EM> has been told unofficially the problem is power related. <BR><B=
R><A class=blue-d href="
http://www.arabianbusiness.com/510132-internet-=
problems-continue-with-fourth-cable-break?ln=en"><STRONG><FONT color=#0=
00099>Internet problems continue with fourth cable break</FONT></STRONG></A=
><BR>Services in Qatar seriously disrupted by damage to cable linking Gulf =
state to UAE.<BR><BR><A class=blue-d href="
http://www.arabianbusiness.c=
om/509954-third-undersea-cable-break-adds-to-web-woes?ln=en"><STRONG><FON=
T color=#000099>Internet crisis deepens</FONT></STRONG></A><BR>Third unde=
rsea cable break between UAE and Oman adds to web woes after two breaks jus=
t days earlier.</DIV></DIV><BR><BR><BR><DIV><FONT style="color: black; fo=
nt: normal 10pt ARIAL, SAN-SERIF;"><HR style="MARGIN-TOP: 10px">Who's nev=
er won? <A title="
http://music.aol.com/grammys/pictures/never-won-a-gram=
my?NCID=aolcmp00300000002548" href="
http://music.aol.com/grammys/pictur=
es/never-won-a-grammy?NCID=aolcmp00300000002548" target="_blank">Bigges=
t Grammy Award surprises of all time on AOL Music.</A></FONT></DIV></BODY><=
/HTML>
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