French Internet Lines Cut In Latest Attack During Olympics (msn.com) 69
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Bloomberg: A number of fiber optic cables carrying broadband service across France were cut overnight in the latest attack on the country's infrastructure during the Olympic Games. Connections serving Paris, which is hosting the Olympic Games this week, and the games themselves weren't affected, a spokesman for Olympics telecom partner, Orange SA, said. Still, this is the second sabotage of French infrastructure in the past few days as the world converges on the capital. Coordinated fires on French rail lines disrupted trains ahead of the opening ceremony on Friday.
The fiber cables were cut in nine departments overall including: Ardeche, Aude, Bouches-du-Rhone, Drome, Herault, Vaucluse, Marne, Meuse and Oise, the French Telecom Federation said. SFR said its network was vandalized between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. Paris time, and teams are working on repairs, a spokesman for the French phone company said. The carrier is using alternative routes to serve customers, though redirecting the traffic might lead to slower speeds. Other carriers, including Iliad SA's Free and Netalis, also said they were impacted in social media posts. Netalis Chief Executive Officer Nicolas Guillaume said that the telecom company had successfully moved traffic to backup networks early on Monday. French cloud provider OVHcloud is also working to reroute traffic after the incident, which had caused slower performance on connections between Europe and Asia Pacific, a spokesman said. "We advocate for France reinforcing criminal sanctions for vandalism on telecom infrastructure, which should be put at the same level as vandalism on energy infrastructure," said Romain Bonenfant, head of the French Telecom Federation industry group, in an interview. "Telecom infrastructure, like the railways, covers kilometers across the whole territory -- you can't put surveillance on every part of it."
The fiber cables were cut in nine departments overall including: Ardeche, Aude, Bouches-du-Rhone, Drome, Herault, Vaucluse, Marne, Meuse and Oise, the French Telecom Federation said. SFR said its network was vandalized between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. Paris time, and teams are working on repairs, a spokesman for the French phone company said. The carrier is using alternative routes to serve customers, though redirecting the traffic might lead to slower speeds. Other carriers, including Iliad SA's Free and Netalis, also said they were impacted in social media posts. Netalis Chief Executive Officer Nicolas Guillaume said that the telecom company had successfully moved traffic to backup networks early on Monday. French cloud provider OVHcloud is also working to reroute traffic after the incident, which had caused slower performance on connections between Europe and Asia Pacific, a spokesman said. "We advocate for France reinforcing criminal sanctions for vandalism on telecom infrastructure, which should be put at the same level as vandalism on energy infrastructure," said Romain Bonenfant, head of the French Telecom Federation industry group, in an interview. "Telecom infrastructure, like the railways, covers kilometers across the whole territory -- you can't put surveillance on every part of it."
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Your definition of election must be different than mine. https://www.washingtonpost.com... [washingtonpost.com]
The people made their choice.
Re: Stew in your own shit, Macron (Score:2)
That is the fun part about terrorism. They make bold claims. They make themselves appear heroic, but they have little imagination. It is very easy to do big damage to a country with some creativity and persistence.
Barbecuing train infrastructure and slicing cables is for wimps.
Someone finally getting pay back (Score:2)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
Probably a Russian-funded attack (Score:4, Insightful)
Probably the latest incident of Russian-funded sabotage, it's pretty similar to the others across Europe, note that nobody's claimed responsibility:
https://www.washingtonpost.com... [washingtonpost.com]
Re:Probably a Russian-funded attack (Score:5, Interesting)
But what's it supposed to accomplish? If a group claimed responsibility to get attention, they'd get attention. But in the grand scheme of things this is just an irritation - and with nobody claiming responsibility, and Russia's recent moves it's going to get pointed at... And what? Solidify EU opinion against Russia?
It just seems like a pointless effort.
Re:Probably a Russian-funded attack (Score:5, Insightful)
Whatever Russia does best - mayhem (cue in those insurance ads). Mayhem creates fear, uncertainty and doubt in the society. Society that is subject to FUD has more internal strife, difficult to govern, tends to produce extremists in politics. All of that makes it weaker and less likely to present a problem for Russia exercising its geopolitical plans. All part of their (very successful) alternative war campaign.
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Whatever Russia does best - mayhem
This is France we're talking about. Short of launching a nuke there's very little Russia can do that a French worker's union can't do better. France is already on edge with their government. No need to blame this on the boogeyman. I mean who can forget this scene https://www.independent.co.uk/... [independent.co.uk]
Russia, terrorists, they have nothing on the French working class.
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Propaganda (Score:4, Insightful)
But what's it supposed to accomplish?
Propaganda.
- Within the west: "You can't even keep your own infrastructure secure, and you want to go after Russia? Think about what happens next when we whip out our nukes!"
- Within their own border: "Dear patriots, you might fear about quality of life since the beginning of the special operations and the unjust banding of all NATO Nazis against the fatherland. But look at them, they are even in worse shape, they can't even keep their train running and their internet working!"
Re:Probably a Russian-funded attack (Score:5, Insightful)
It's not pointless if it inconveniences people or puts a black eye on a government. Cutting internet lines means businessess will have issues trying to do business. People, in general, will have issues doing anything.
That said, for comparison one can use the ongoing ATM and bank hacks [kyivpost.com] across Russia as a far better example of how to handle things. For the past week Ukraine has plastered Russia's banks so badly that people can't withdraw money, bank payment systems have been frozen, people can't pay for public transportation, and other issues which are rippling through the country. In short, the Russian central bank is now paralyzed.
If you really want to cause harm, freezing a country's banking and payment systems is the way to go. Everyone feels it.
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They want to waste the resources of the target nation (France in this case) by asymmetric action. Either France can accept that this damage will continue to happen, or they have to find a way to surveil the cables along their entire length. Both options cost far more than the cable cutters are investing. If they get caught, they go to French prison which may be preferable to ending up in a meat wave assault in Ukraine.
Re:Probably a Russian-funded attack (Score:5, Interesting)
Authoritarian leaders rule at home by intimidation and bullying. And it works so well for them in domestic politics they don't seem to see that it doesn't work when you try it on other countries. Tojo thought Americans would respond to Pearl Harbor suing for peace. Hitler focused The Blitz on counter-value bombing population centers because he thought it would break the UK's fighting spirit. Which goes to show you that while psychopaths can be dangerously cunning, they don't really understand what makes people tick.
For authoritarians, everything is personal, because everything is about *them*. It's probably enough for Putin that doesn't like the French, and French politicians are standing in the way of some of the things he wants to do. The fact that it may galvanize a potentially serious adversary against him with no actual concrete strategic benefit is precisely the kind of bad decision authoritarian leaders make.
This isn't five dimensional chess. This is shiving another inmate in the prison yard because he looked at you funny.
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Quite some first hand experience here. My first work assignment after studies was to the plant, reproducing DEC computers for the needs of USSR. They would buy samples somewhere in Africa to avoid restrictions, and run trough the network of analysis, construction and manufacturing organizations. I even happened to serve displaying produce at the Exhibition of Achievements of National Economy. Visiting Americans were rare, but did happen. Audacity of this "alternate civilization" has little limits.
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It just seems like a pointless effort.
To whom? Each and every terror attack can be seen, both, pointless, yet carry real damage, fear, torture. Terrorism against the Olympic games is THE lowest denominator of conscience in the perspective of this civilization as a whole. Lest not omit the point of it.
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in the grand scheme of things this is just an irritation - and with nobody claiming responsibility,
Irritations are more or less the only strategy the Russians are currently capable of against the West, short of using their nukes to commit suicide.
They have no soft power to speak of, no meaningful sanctioning potential, no technology they could withhold, no economic leverage short of fossils and some minerals, for all of which there are other sources. Their economy is on par with Italy, their conventional military is inept and corrupt.
But they can cause lots and lots and lots of "irritations", on all
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Duh: these are warnings that dissing Russia will have consequences. And also useful reconnaissance..
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The first attack damaged a major transit system into and out of the capital.
This damaged a major communication system.
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The simultaneous attacks and absence of claim seem to point at the Russians indeed. Like with the attacks on bullet trains.
Re: Probably a Russian-funded attack (Score:5, Funny)
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There is a claim of responsibility for the attacks on the railway communication lines. A radical leftist group allegedly did it to protest against the Olympics. The authenticity of the letter that has been sent to several media outlets is being investigated.
Needless to say, nobody would be surprised if Russia had its hands in it through instigating and financing such sabotage.
Seems Unlikely (Score:5, Interesting)
France has had several issues with islamic groups in the recent past. These groups have had a history of doing coordinated attacks like this before although they tend to go around killing people rather than infrastructure so perhaps it is not them either. The fact that the impact seems to have been small suggests some local group that doesn't have the resources to know which lines are important or the ability to hit important, protected targets since they are going after unprotected infrastructure like communications lines and railways. Perhaps it is some environmental group since the attacks are aimed at disruption rather than death? Although again, going after the train system seems counterproductive if your aims are environmental but then environmentalism doesn't seem to always attract the brightest activists.
Re: Seems Unlikely (Score:1)
Or the important ones are too well protected.
Curious how this will manifest in four years -- it doesn't even take a major event for that kind of stuff to happen in LA.
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As unlikely, as coming for the Ukrainian land in any form available: first - concealed, and then openly.
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ruZZia does all kind of the disruption to the Western world and NATO, including France, as these constitute position, ruZZia makes opposition to - for centuries now.
It is very clear which camp is opposing annexation of Ukraine.
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France has had several issues with islamic groups in the recent past.
No need to bring religion into this. France has had many issues with its own populace in recent past without being sorted into any religion or national status. France is on a political tightrope. The only reason they don't have a right wing cabinet is because of very careful politics a few weeks ago. A good portion of the people are massively discontent, and the French. ... Well they are French. They love to riot and burn shit down at the drop of a dime.
This isn't the first time this happened. Cutting fiber
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No need to bring religion into this.
Yes there is when clearly one of the previous reasons for serious attacks in France has been islamic terrorism. I'll agree that only the simultaneous action seems to match the prior pattern of these groups and they are normally far more violent towards people than infrastructure so it may well not be them as I stated in my original post but it would be ridiculous to not consider them as possible culprits just because you are uncomfortable considering religion as a motive.
As for rioting and protesting I'
Re:Probably a Russian-funded attack (Score:5, Informative)
Just a few days ago, the previous sabotage operation was a simultaneous attack on the 4 main high speed train connection where optics cable nodes were destroyed overnight. https://edition.cnn.com/2024/0... [cnn.com] The organisation needed for 4 railways to be attacked, and the level of expertise needed to target the specific communications boxes at the most crucial interconnects makes think it has to be a State actor.
Bets are open on which State it could be. Meanwhile in France:
* June 3rd, a Russo-Ukranian who has served in the Russian army was detained in Paris after his improvised explosives detonated in his hotel room, apparently planning to attack a hardware store near Paris https://www.lemonde.fr/en/fran... [lemonde.fr] or https://www.france24.com/en/eu... [france24.com] (in English)
* July 25, former Russian TV star and FSB agent Kirill Gryaznov was detained in France after boasting "an opening ceremony like no other" https://www.lemonde.fr/en/fran... [lemonde.fr]
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was detained in France after boasting "an opening ceremony like no other" https://www.lemonde.fr/en/fran... [lemonde.fr]
Oh, I think the Olympic organizers themselves had that covered ...
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Bets are open on which State it could be.
I'm betting France. The country is so on edge at the moment politically that it would be very on brand that a white workingclass French man was behind the attack. You don't need an external player when your own people start a riot every other weekend as a national sport.
Lots of people very upset at their government, more upset at their government's austerity measures, and even more upset that they are splurging for the Olympics while at the same time telling people they need to work harder longer, and that
Re:Probably a Russian-funded attack (Score:4, Interesting)
The sabotage you link to is aimed directly at Ukrainian war effort. The French Olympics have nothing to do with that.
The last time there was a wave of terrorism in France, it was always the same formula: one guy from ISIS, one guy from Algeria, one guy from behind the Paris ring road. All three of these, in different ways, boil down to French colonialism.
We don't need to attribute everything bad that happens to the villain of the day. Sometimes one just reaps what they have sown. And the French, they have sown... The country suffers from chronic mismanagement, and is going to blow up sooner or later. They have definitely not made any more friends during their recent scramble to retain control of Sahel. And they do not really consider their colonies-originating populace as actual human beings. All of this adds up to an explosive mix where one should be more surprised that most of the time, nothing is happening...
In any case, I suggest we all use the Occams Razor to shave Putin off of this until we have hard evidence, for TFA in particular, and most other issues in general. Having him live rent-free in our heads is causing us to be blind to our own shortcomings. And by being blind to our own shortcomings, we set out to not fix them, and have them get worse over time. And that is the actual Putins work that we do by ourselves, to ourselves.
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The French Olympics
... they are not. It is another assault on our civilization, one of many. No reason to grumble the actors as nearly non-existent.
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The French have sown so much that I doubt it's even colonialism. If anyone has been paying attention to French news the past 3 years you will see that virtually the entire country is angry for one reason or another. The government has been truly a government for all and managed to virtually piss off everyone in equal measure. It's almost like America in the sense that the only reason Macron is still in power is because people think the alternative is even worse.
You can't put surveillance... (Score:2)
Sure you can. You don't want to pay for it. (which they shouldn't need to)
This is an example of what is wrong with today's society. If something is required, someone always says "but who will pay for it?". If it is a requirement, like not having lead in water, or essential communication, the question should first be "how do I fix the problem".
There is more than enough money to go around for basic essentials, take it from non-essentials, if required. Like fossil fuel subsidies.
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The question is how to contain terrorism, it is not about surveillance of everything, that can be object of terrorism. Surveillance will help you very little after another attack takes place.
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Reality (Score:1)
It's just French Communist activists trying to sabotage the Capitalist society so Communist utopia can rise from the ashes. You can find them doing this at least since 2008. Police already grabbed one of them, because they know who a lot of these terrorists are, as most of them have been doing this sort of terrorism for a long time. Expect more arrests in following days as they locate more members of the same Red Terror cell.
https://www.lefigaro.fr/lefiga... [lefigaro.fr]
"But muh current day narrative" spin doctors jumpi
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And French in New Zealand. Does that mean that next time Maori extremists tear the place up, it must actually be French?
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Linked article is for reasonable viewers that may have problems finding out that Communist attacks against French infrastructure have been an ongoing thing for a very long time.
Reasonable viewers would not need help finding out that current damage to infrastructure is likely by Communists, as a known member of a Communist cell has been arrested for it already, and that has been widely publicised.
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Me:
>French police arrested a known member of a Communist activist/terror cell. You can find them doing this at least since 2008.
You:
>"you made an argument that accused them specifically for this job".
You get F for reading comprehension.
>"Communist attacks against French infrastructure" only gives links to the French resistance
Let me guess, you searched google which curates searches based on your history, and you have significant far left sympathies? Because me searching it immediately brings up Fre
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>but have no evidence
You're placing exceptionally unreasonable demand here, that they must provide you with evidence a couple of days after attacks as investigation is ongoing, and they're grabbing people. Essentially you're demanding they compromise the investigation.
Considering that in your previous post, you revealed yourself to have ultra-left sympathies, as according to you your personalized search results for such attacks only brings links for WW2, it goes from questionable to straight up suspiciou
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You're placing exceptionally unreasonable demand here, that they must provide you with evidence a couple of days after attacks
I'm not making any demand what so ever from them, I was making such a demand from YOU since you made the claim that you knew not only exactly who it was but also that one of them had been arrested.
Considering that in your previous post, you revealed yourself to have ultra-left sympathies, as according to you your personalized search results for such attacks only brings links for WW2
Talk about assumptions making an ass out of you, I did that google search from a completely new vm just to be sure to not get any previous seach bias.
Uh oh (Score:2)
are we sure (Score:2)
...that it's not the French Olympic Committee themselves just trying to block spread of their hideous shit show of an opening? Widely mocked and meme'd, they're now pulling it from every medium and copyright striking YouTube constantly to pull it down everywhere.
Can't you? (Score:2)
"Telecom infrastructure, like the railways, covers kilometers across the whole territory -- you can't put surveillance on every part of it."
Can't you? What would it cost to add a mesh networking camera to every pole and cabinet? It seems like a very small percentage of the price of the total installation.