Yemeni Houthi rebels suspected of damaging underwater Red Sea cables responsible for 17%...

[midian182]

What just happened? Yemeni Houthi rebels are believed to have damaged undersea data cables in the Red Sea that link Europe to Asia. The Iran-backed Houthis had already threatened to target the fiber optic cables, which carry an estimated 17% of the world's internet traffic, and it now appears that the group has carried out attacks.

Four of the at least 15 submarine cables that pass through the Bab al-Mandab Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea have been damaged in recent months. Israeli news publication Globes reports that the EIG, AAE-1, Seacom and TGN-EA cables were affected, with Seacom confirming its cable, which stretches between Kenya and Egypt, has experienced a break.

In December, a Telegram channel linked to Houthi militants published a map of the cables running along the Red Sea bed. It was accompanied by a message that read: "There are maps of international cables connecting all regions of the world through the sea. It seems that Yemen is in a strategic location, as internet lines that connect entire continents – not only countries – pass near it."

Courtesy of submarinecablemap.com

Telecom firms linked to the UN-recognised Yemen government recently said they feared Houthi rebels were planning to sabotage the cables.

The damage is reported to be "significant, but not critical," thanks to the many other cables in the region. Seacom says it has re-routed traffic from its damaged cable to others in the area.

Repairing the cables won't be simple. Work could take at least eight weeks and those who carry it out risk coming under attack from Houthi rebels, who have targeted civilian ships in the Red Sea. The Reg notes that cable repair ships are usually booked well in advance, too.

Of the damaged cables, the Asia-Africa-Europe AAE-1 is said to be the most strategic. The 15,534-mile line connects Southeast Asia to Europe.

It was previously reported that the Houthis lack the submersibles necessary to reach the cables, but there are points where they run at a depth of 100 meters (328 feet), reducing the need for advanced submarines.

Damaging undersea data cables is something we've seen before, though the suspected culprit is usually Russia. The European Commission recently warned that these cables need their security and resilience improved in light of increasing global tensions.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/102039-yemeni-houthi-rebels-suspected-damaging-underwater-red-sea.html

 

[WhiteLeaff]

It's time for the decrepit leaders of the West to stop attacking sparingly, and start attacking together to defeat this plague financed by Iran and China.

 

[winjer]

Religious fanatics trying to take the world back to the dark ages.

 

[toooooot]

I think it is time for more extreme measures. Do they happen to have oil production or something these savages sell to the rest of the world.
Lets impose a naughty tax on their resources.
That reminds me something else.
There were cables damaged near Norway I believe, they suspected Russians.
And I see no reason why not. Crazy tsar is set to make life bitter for as many people as he can.
While his own peasants die lacking healthy food and medicine, he wants millions more to not
enjoy life.

 

[DubiousFishHook]

Good time for them to upgrade, p2p with asia is still 1990's speed/56k.

 

[erickmendes]

He can fix it

 

[hahahanoobs]

It's time for the decrepit leaders of the West to stop attacking sparingly, and start attacking together to defeat this plague financed by Iran and China.

Stop attacking extremist groups sparingly, but not the ones providing financial support that you mentioned?

 

[gamerk2]

Religious fanatics trying to take the world back to the dark ages.

I note the Houthi's formed specifically to combat said religious fanatics (the Saudis) and are coming into conflict with the west specifically we continue to back them over other religious fanatics.

Or put another way: We made this our problem.

 

[netman]

"Repairing the cables won't be simple. Work could take at least eight weeks and those who carry it out risk coming under attack from Houthi rebels, who have targeted civilian ships in the Red Sea. "

No, no civilian ships...! Houthis initially started attacking Israeli cargo ships only to make a ceasefire on their slaughtering of Gaza people. When they got attacked by US and UK, they retaliated by attacking their ships...! Get your fact straight...!

 

[Achaios]

The Houthi and their pi*sing on us really make me miss the late Gen. Curtis LeMay USAF.

The good General would probably have no issue ordering a bunch of BUFFs (B-52) from Diego Garcia to carpet bomb the Houthi back to Mohammed's age in a way reminiscent of the Vietnam USAF ops "Linebacker".

Such repulsive thoughts ofc make me repentant but such savages only understand one language, that spoken by LeMay.

 

[Achaios]

I note the Houthi's formed specifically to combat said religious fanatics (the Saudis) and are coming into conflict with the west specifically we continue to back them over other religious fanatics.

Or put another way: We made this our problem.

Have you ever been to Saudi Arabia? I have.

The Saudis are not religious fanatics. They are anything but.

You wanna see religious fanatics? Look in pakistan, look in iran, look in turkey.

To someone who has actually been to Saudia calling the Saudis "religious fanatics" is laughable.

 

[gamerk2]

Have you ever been to Saudi Arabia? I have.

The Saudis are not religious fanatics. They are anything but.

You wanna see religious fanatics? Look in pakistan, look in iran, look in turkey.

To someone who has actually been to Saudia calling the Saudis "religious fanatics" is laughable.

How about "stop trying to fix other peoples house for them"?

Literally every action the US has taken in the mideast for the past three-quarters of a century have backfired.

 

[Endymio]

Such repulsive thoughts ofc make me repentant but such savages only understand one language, that spoken by LeMay.

Yet those "repugnant savages" in Vietnam never did learn LeMay's language, and campaigns like "Linebacker" merely succeeded in solidifying their pact with the USSR -- the ostensible reason we were there in the first place.

Yet when the US pulled out of Vietnam and left them alone, they quickly abandoned their erstwhile "ally", and within a couple decades were literally begging the US to return.

Food for thought.

 

[netman]

"Yemeni Houthi rebels are believed to have damaged undersea data cables in the Red Sea that link Europe to Asia."

All lie and propaganda by Israeli media...!

 

[bennyg]

This quite possibly could be the dragging anchor from the Ruby mar that is abandoned, adrift and sinking after a hit from a houthi missile

 

[Endymio]

This quite possibly could be the dragging anchor from the Ruby mar that is abandoned, adrift and sinking after a hit from a houthi missile

Err, what? A ship adrift isn't dragging its anchor, and the Red Sea is far too deep, anyway: the maximum anchor depth of most ships is 80 meters.

 

[bennyg]

Err, what? A ship adrift isn't dragging its anchor, and the Red Sea is far too deep, anyway: the maximum anchor depth of most ships is 80 meters.

Ruby mar has drifted approx 70km now with one anchor out since abandoned - both easily checked facts - its a fully loaded ship with a stern full of water, it makes sense this is too much weight for just one of its anchors to hold on the sea floor, anchor lengths are longer and the Red Sea shallower outside of the main channel than it seems you think it is.

Also the Houthis have denied targeting the cables, which is pretty telling IMO. Noisy terrorist factions that are trying to damage whatever stuff within their reach usually bee ess us with type I error press releases claiming responsibility for anything that happens to be damaged nearby

 

[Endymio]

Ruby mar has drifted approx 70km now with one anchor out since abandoned - both easily checked facts - its a fully loaded ship with a stern full of water, it makes sense this is too much weight for just one of its anchors to hold on the sea floor, anchor lengths are longer and the Red Sea shallower outside of the main channel than it seems you think it is.

Also the Houthis have denied targeting the cables, which is pretty telling IMO. Noisy terrorist factions that are trying to damage whatever stuff within their reach usually bee ess us with type I error press releases claiming responsibility for anything that happens to be damaged nearby

Revisiting the issue; you have some valid points. While even the largest cargo ships are generally limited to anchoring in 80m waters, the chain itself can be five times longer; something I failed to account for.

As for the Houthi denials, terror groups claim credit for whatever they can -- if and only if they feel it helps their cause.

 

[tjboston]

"Yemeni Houthi rebels are believed to have damaged undersea data cables in the Red Sea that link Europe to Asia."

All lie and propaganda by Israeli media...!

NOW we're starting to understand where your *** is coming from.

How do you block a user on here??

 

[Knot Schure]

Ruby mar has drifted approx 70km now with one anchor out since abandoned - both easily checked facts - its a fully loaded ship with a stern full of water, it makes sense this is too much weight for just one of its anchors to hold on the sea floor, anchor lengths are longer and the Red Sea shallower outside of the main channel than it seems you think it is.

Also the Houthis have denied targeting the cables, which is pretty telling IMO. Noisy terrorist factions that are trying to damage whatever stuff within their reach usually bee ess us with type I error press releases claiming responsibility for anything that happens to be damaged nearby

Yes, hello from the Submarine Cable Industry.

This is indeed what we suspect.

So they DID damage it, but indirectly.

I'd have dropped anchor & hit the RIB too. No need to tangle with an RPG outside of COD, or experience a bullet in the stomach, or worse.

 

[Knot Schure]

NOW we're starting to understand where your *** is coming from.

How do you block a user on here??

Well they DID damage it, albeit indirectly.

Source? My work.

 

[Knot Schure]

Have you ever been to Saudi Arabia? I have.

The Saudis are not religious fanatics. They are anything but.

You wanna see religious fanatics? Look in pakistan, look in iran, look in turkey.

To someone who has actually been to Saudia calling the Saudis "religious fanatics" is laughable.

I imagine your first line to be completely true.. however;
I've worked in Saudi, Qatar, UAE, Bahrain, and on and on.
I'd most certainly call any nation that separates men and woman so publicly, and everywhere - immigration, restaurants, woman need to have a male family minder escort at all times, stopping all TV & Radio all bloody day for prayers, locking people both in (and out of) stores whilst the prayer time is in progress, and well, you know, there are countless more examples, so yeah, I'd say religious fanatics.

 

[loki1944]

That not the link those tomahawk missils use gys; but A for effort

 

[wiyosaya]

Religious fanatics trying to take the world back to the dark ages.

IMO, the scariest thing about this fact is that it is not limited to the Middle East.

 

[mgwerner]

The Houthi and their pi*sing on us really make me miss the late Gen. Curtis LeMay USAF.

The good General would probably have no issue ordering a bunch of BUFFs (B-52) from Diego Garcia to carpet bomb the Houthi back to Mohammed's age in a way reminiscent of the Vietnam USAF ops "Linebacker".

Such repulsive thoughts ofc make me repentant but such savages only understand one language, that spoken by LeMay.

I'll see your stone, and raise you glass. Glass made of desert sand and mountain rock. Lovely, green trinitite glass......